[RP] World Enimga - The Labyrinth Wish

[Neo Emolga]

World Enigma - The Labyrinth Wish

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Can be found right here. (http://www.pokemoncrossroads.com/forum/showthread.php?11085-SU-DS-World-Enigma-The-Labyrinth-Wish)

A HIDDEN WORLD COLLAPSES

It all started in Hoenn, Route 100.

The Trick House, owned and run by the anonymous and enigmatic "Trick Master," was thought to be a local tourist attraction in Hoenn to test the wit and resourcefulness of trainers and travelers alike. Home to many puzzles, mazes, and other fun house-like setups, many people thought it was simply for casual entertainment. And there were many that visited what seemed like an innocent fun house and left without suspecting a thing.

But there were several, including yourself, that entered with the belief that it was nothing more than a game. However, unlike many of the others, you took a different turn, found a passage into a whole new underground level, and discovered a whole different wonderland-like world where reality was dismantled, logic was thrown into bedlam, and everything you once knew about how things work was wrong. However, by the time you realized there was something incredibly disturbing about this place, you discovered escape was impossible. The way you came in took you somewhere completely different, and you joined the many that were lost within the realms of the Trick House's Underground mazes and wonderland chaos.

Despite the warnings of not to drink or eat anything or risk transformation, you had to suffer through it, as well as having no idea where one door would take you next. For many days, you suffered being transformed into many different things and being whisked away to places that constantly tricked and disoriented you. Meanwhile, the questions lingered on. Who really is the Trick Master and why was he doing this? How could any of this be possible?

Through collective efforts, one group of trainers had vowed to find a way to stop this, or else they knew they could very well spend the rest of eternity in this bizarre place. They found a way to cheat the Trick House Underground, marking the walls and the floors with warnings, notes about what each element did, and where doors would take people. Eventually, the Trick Master discovered this and caused the first dreamworld to collapse only to be replaced by a dark, more nefarious one.

After causing massive, catastrophic damage to the darker dream realm, one of the trainers involved in this mission was contacted by Jirachi, who revealed that the Trick Master's power and ability to even do all this in the first place was granted by her wishes. While trying to guide the trainers in secret and help them cause further damage to the dream realm, the Trick Master attempted to create whatever he could to prevent his Trick House realm from falling apart.

But while the rebellious trainers were successful in causing the dream world to collapse by causing massive damage, they could not stop the Trick Master from using the third and final wish that Jirachi was forced to give him. And that wish granted him the power to take what he was able to do here...

...and unleash it upon the entire world above.

DARKER SECRETS UNLEASHED

The Trick Master has decided to use the real world as a catalyst for his wonderland creations and new reality. Unlike before, the efforts that caused the first two renditions of the dream world to collapse cannot be done again, as it would be the end of everything. Before, almost no one knew about what was really happening in the Trick House.

Now everyone is suffering through the same mayhem, thrown into a puzzling labyrinth world where not even Arceus and his fellow legendary Pokémon can keep it under control. In the meantime, it seems the Trick Master has eagerly accepted his power as the new god, and has created his own legendary minions and emissaries to take the place of the real legendary Pokémon. There is no choice now. They all have to be defeated entirely, and both the Trick Master and his dark powers have to be completely destroyed.

But unlike everyone else suffering through the pandemonium, the long-term exposure to the Trick Master's realms built your resistances and something awakened in you when you the previous dream worlds collapsed. You were exposed to the inner secrets and workings of how this power works, and as a result, you have begun to learn how to understand and control it to your desires, an advantage that no one else has. The new warped reality no longer affects you as negatively as it does to everyone else, and because of that, the rest of the world now needs your help and has begun to look toward you for a solution.

The Trick Master now seeks to enshroud the entire world under his wonderland powers. Already, all of the regions of the world have rapidly fallen under his spell and very few places remain unaffected, but even those safe zones are quickly disappearing. In the meantime, he seeks to eliminate Arceus and the other legendaries all to replace them with himself and his own creations. And lastly, he seeks to eliminate you and the rest of the captives that suffered through the first dream realms.

Many question if the real world will ever fully recover from this incident and if things will ever go back to normal if the Trick Master is defeated. We have no choice but to find out the truth eventually.

KNOWN DISCOVERIES

Most people and Pokémon have only just recently been exposed to the chaos. However, you and your Pokémon are already painfully familiar with the following:

TRANSFORMATION - As before, getting transformed is a very common occurrence. Eating or drinking anything that the Trick Master's powers have tampered with will transform both humans and Pokémon into just about anything.

Your Power - You and your Pokémon have some control and power over this effect and can slightly govern how it will affect you. In the beginning, you can at least stop it from transforming you into something terrible or something you had been before that was bearable to you. As you "train" yourself in how it works, you can eventually use this effect to become certain Pokémon or creatures you want to become, and eventually became so adept that you can become whatever you want to at whim.

REALITY DEFIANCE - As before, the Trick House realms were a nonsensical wonderland that had doors and holes pop out of nowhere, physical space and the passage of time had no bearing, and physics and basic chemistry had been completely overruled. Now, the real world is affected, and unlike before, destroying it all is just as bad as destroying it all when it was normal.

Your Power - Now, you're able to foresee when these occurrences will happen, while everyone else will be shocked and surprised. It will feel a lot like having psychic powers and foresight. As your powers of control get stronger, you'll be able to govern how these wonderland elements behave, such as using a hole or door to decide where you want to go rather than where the wonderland world wants you to go. And in time, when you've mastered your abilities, you'll be able to create your own doors and holes and alternate reality elements to use to your advantage and against the Trick Master's forces.

DEATH - Death behaves strangely now. As before in the Trick House realms, death caused the victim to respawn somewhere else as something else entirely. The safe effect happens now, but some wonder if this will be allowed to persist if the Trick Master is eliminated.

Your Power - The Trick Master is seeking to eliminate you permanently, but right now, the only way to do that is to try and entrap you forever or send you many galaxies away. You are actually beyond death at this point and dying only helps you manipulate it further to your advantage. The result is the Trick Master is now seeking to bestow a fate even worse than death upon you.

RULES

Follow the basic Pokémon Crossroads rules and the RP rules.
God-modding is very loose on this one. As long as it doesn't get too ridiculous, the more you let your imagination run wild, the better, and it's allowed to go pretty far on this one, just so as long as it's not detrimental to other RPers.
No direct bunnying, although you can slightly influence what happens to other people.
Keep it PG-13 and under. Some areas of the Trick House Underground can be dark and scary, but they're not excessively gory, vulgar, or perverted.
You're free to create whatever the Trick Master is using as minions and legendaries as well as the absurd way everything is being warped around. Even the most oddball of stuff is fine.
If you were in the Hoenn Enigma: Seeds of Secrets RP, you can use your previous character(s). don't worry too much about trying to catch them up with what happened since the last RP, just have them begin like everyone else.

Also, include your character's name in the header, what they currently are, and their location. This also helps other RPers (however that happens) to find you and interact with your character.

Shenili LKWayvern Morzone Alphys

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A

To put it lightly, things definitely didn't go according to plan.

I wasn't surprised with how the Trick Master used that third and final wish. Before, only less than a hundred people had to deal with that bastard's fabricated bullcrap. Now, everyone on the planet was dealing with it.

I managed to make my way to Slateport City, or at least I was pretty sure it was Slateport City. With the way the Trick Master hijacked the world now, you could fall down a hole and end up on the other side of the planet. But you'd be lucky if you were able to tell where exactly you ended up. Some random village in Johto could look like Toon Town now while even your own house could be made up of cotton balls. Apparently, having his basement world destroyed was enough for this psycho to declare war on Arceus and turn it all into a creation war.

And I was NOT on this guy's friend list. The Trick Master didn't want me dead. Oh no, he wanted me suffering. I had been a nail in his foot when it came to dismantling his dream worlds and I was sure he was trying to find me. He had me turned into a zombie before and then into a disgustingly fat Goodra before I managed to get under the radar again. But if he found me, I could swear it was going to get even worse.

I had picked up a few skills in the wake of his dream world falling apart. They were minor for now, but I was able to take on forms that I had been before. So on that note, I was able to go incognito as a Bellossom. The nice thing about this was there was no telling me apart from a normal Bellossom. Heck, I had even made friends with two normal Bellossom and they couldn't even tell I was using this form as a disguise. Their names were Jubilee and Lei, and I decided to go under the name of Wishflower. It would be suicide to use my real name, because I wasn't sure who was listening.

We had met up in Slateport City, which, under the Trick Master's influence, had become like a candyland gingerbread village. Everything was made up of candy, chocolate, or some sugary edible junk. The scary thing was I wasn't even sure if these kinds of changes were permanent now. Even if we blew the Trick Master's brains out, would this stuff go back to normal even if his guts were plastered on the wall? If it didn't, we were in deep crap, and I wasn't sure how any of the legendary Pokémon could deal with it. But for now, the three of us looked around, trying to grasp our bearings while being on the lookout for any people or Pokémon that needed help.

"This is all so strange," Jubilee told me, looking around. "All of this is the work of a single man?"

"I really don't know what would drive a human to do something ridiculous like this," I told her with a sigh, trying to act in character to keep the concealment. "My biggest hope is things go back to normal once someone finds him and stops him."

"I've grown to really hate this," Lei muttered in disdain. "Nothing makes sense now, and both human and Pokémon settlements have been totally warped in frustrating ways. Not to mention I've seen terrible things happen to both humans and Pokémon. There's so much shock, confusion, and everyone looks so lost..."

Again, even that was putting it mildly. All I had to do was look around and see homes, stores, and office buildings now made of sugary candy. The cobbled stone path we were on was now made of chocolate bricks while the sand on the shore was now made of cookie crumbles. And it was starting to snow tiny clumps of cotton candy. Last time I checked, it was supposed to still be summer, but still, snow in summer would have been extremely mild in comparison to all the other weirdness that was going on.

"Let's keep sticking together," Jubilee suggested, keeping her optimistic smile and wink. "Things may look a little bleak, but at least we've got each other."

"Exactly," I smiled. "Let's take a look around and see if anyone needs our help."

Either that, or find the Trick Master's deranged minions and blow them up into pieces. Around here, both of those were possible.

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson & Azlan- Human & Azelf Gijinka
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

The Oasis had been a trap. It was unsurprising given how too conveniently placed the whole concept of the respite had been in the first place. Yet, despite her suspicions, Sloane was still suffering the consequences of entering the accursed place. For a while, after the events of the Trick House's collapse, Sloane had blamed the side effects she was currently suffering on Shiloh, for pushing her through. And yet, Sloane knew deep down she had no one to blame for herself. Now she was trying to resist the ever growing fog on her mind in hopes of locating Dylan. There was just one problem, the Oasis survivors. Just like Sloane, the other survivors from the Oasis were suffering from the mental fog as well, and it was dividing them. That had been the trap the whole time. The Trick Master had used the mist from the Oasis to enter the minds of the Oasis survivors in an attempt to control or dispose of them. Sloane was able to resist it, but only because she was aware of its presence. Not everyone else was so lucky.

Sloane's breaths came quickly as her feet beat against the frosted ground. Eyesight sharp, ears tuned, and fingers tightly grasping the sleek metal machine within them, Sloane kept a constant scan of the area, Azlan covering her blind spots when he could. In the short time the two had been present in the candy land that was once Slateport, the two realized that this had quickly become a war zone for Oasis survivors. With the Trick Master's influence over them, they had begun to fight among each other, forced to keep fighting an eternal Hunger Games. Sloane slid to a stop at a corner and pressed her back against the gingerbread wall. Azlan stopped beside her and waited as Sloane leaned out and scanned the upcoming intersection. Seeing the coast clear, Sloane nodded to Azlan, then the two crossed quickly.

Just as the two thought they were in the clear, a spray of bullets sent a group of candy cane trashcans flying. Sloane recoiled from the sudden attack and tried to spot him. Azlan located him first, grabbing the sniper with his psychic powers and forcing him to the ground. It took the man a moment to recover, but Sloane already had her gun pointed at his head by the time he could orient himself. The man stared up at her, emotionless, waiting for her to shoot. Sloane's eyes narrowed and her finger tightened on the trigger, the fog clouding out her thoughts. Sloane grit her teeth and began to force the fog back, the gun shaking in her hands as she resisted the Trick Master's voice inside her head. Azlan noticed the man start to move and barely stopped a bullet from hitting Sloane in the forehead. Sloane sucked in a tight breath, the bullet right at the center of her forehead. The man, now showing his concealed pistol, seemed caught off guard by Azlan's extremely quick reflexes. With a twitch of his finger, Azlan sent the bullet back at the man, missing the man's temple by less than an inch. The man stumbled back, startled, giving Sloane and Azlan enough to backtrack quickly to the intersection. They turned down the left road, hoping to lose the sniper, but this proved futile when a battle cry echoed throughout the streets of Slateport.

Sloane cast a quick glance over her shoulder and felt her heart nearly stop inside her chest. The man was too close for comfort, his pistol gleaming in the light. A good shot and that was it. Sloane ducked into another alley, Azlan close behind, and the three began to play a game of cat and mouse through the gingerbread maze. Cotton candy flakes began to fall from the sky, sticking to Sloane's clothes and hair. She turned down another turn and then another, before breaking into a wide open area with a group of three Bellossom at the edge. Hair snapping in the wind, Sloane began to charge across the open area, trying to take cover as quickly as possible. She chanced another look back to see Azlan much further behind than she remember.

"Azlan! Hurry up! That mad man is going to get us if we don't take cover now!" Sloane shouted with an annoyed tone as she halted about halfway across the clearing. Azlan's feet beat against the uneven chocolate bricks.

"Easy for you to say! You're used to that form!"

"You should really listen to the little lady, fancy pants." Sloane and Azlan froze as a bullet cut off some of Azlan's hair. Time seemed to slow as the man approached the frozen Azlan from behind. Sloane could hear her heart pounding her ears as the world zeroed in on Azlan. The man was raising his gun, putting it against Azlan's temple, his finger gripping the trigger like life was dependent on it. Adrenaline began to beat through Sloane's veins and she reacted on instinct, raising her own gun in the blink an eye and firing without a second thought. The man's head snapped back and he collapsed on the ground, his body disappearing moments later. Azlan fell with him, more out of shock than anything else. His head slowly rose after a moment, and there was no mistaking the emotion evident in his golden eyes. Horror. Sloane took deep breaths in and out, her hands shaking as she gripped her own pistol tight enough that her knuckles went white. She looked away, her eyes cast to the ground.

"I had to do it," she whispered quietly. Azlan didn't respond, just watching Sloane. Sloane slowly turned her back to the Azelf and began to make her way out of the clearing. However, before she could exit, a knife froze in front of her forehead, held there by Azlan's psychic. Sloane reached out and grasped the hilt of the knife, spotting her opponent instantly, a young man in a suit and top hat.

Dylan Thomas & Fox Oleander - Rapidash Centaur & Mermaid
Route 100 Lakeside
Affected RPers: N/A

"Ugh! Why did it only change you? Ragh! At this rate I'll be a mermaid forever!"

"I mean if it's any consolation you'll be able to get a boyfriend much easier now." Fox splashed Dylan with her tail, Dylan trying to throw up his hands in defense but it did not do much good for him. "Ow! Fox! Careful that hurts now!"

"Good! Now you can feel pain like I have since I first entered this wretched form!" Fox huffed loudly and sunk down in the water a bit. The two went silent for several minutes before Fox spoke up again. "So the world huh? I always said I wanted to be free of that house but... I didn't mean this."

"None of us wished for this," Dylan answered in a serious tone. "Well, the Trick Master did, but you understand what I meant." Dylan let out a long sigh. He scanned the area around them for any signs of life. Once again, nothing turned up. Earlier in the day there had been quite a bit of traffic through this part of what Dylan had come to assume was once Route 100. However, no one in passing had been that one Dylan sought. Fox knew Dylan longed to look for Sloane, especially after some guy had told Dylan that Sloane had entered the Trick House as well. Personally, Fox didn't trust this one bit but given everything that had happened up until now, she was willing to sacrifice trust for a means to an end. Still, Fox had someone to look for too. Hemlock was missing again. They had briefly reunited before the collapse of the Trick House, but the destruction of the world had separated them. Fox only had Dylan by her side now because she had been close enough to Dylan to be able to locate him, but no matter where she looked, Fox could not find Hemlock. She was worried sick, though she wouldn't admit it, and could only hope the roserade was okay in whatever form he had taken.

"We need to do something," Fox replied, "go somewhere and maybe try to... I don't know, destroy something." Dylan raised an eyebrow at Fox that answered her suggestion without a word. Dylan was already noodling on that one and trying to figure out how to do so. Fox rested her arms on the shore and silently tread water, observing what was once Route 100. Due to the Trick Master's madness, the place had been turned into a dense, humid jungle. It was impossible to see which direction was which and even though she had yet to encounter them, Fox could only imagine what horrors lay in the water she currently tread. Truth be told, Fox just wanted to go somewhere else, anywhere else, and just relax. A nap sounded amazing right about now. When was the last time she had slept? Fox wasn't sure, but it felt like ages. Fox felt her eyelids grow heavy and her head began to lower when Dylan suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Fox, something's coming."

Madder Hatter- Human
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

He hadn't really done much to mask his presence but the mad hatter was still somewhat annoyed that someone had been able to stop his knife from piercing the young lady's skull. He had already determined that she did not need to live. Her reaction to what Madder could only assume to be her first kill was quite tragic. It made Madder feel nausea just thinking of it. The kill itself had been smooth and crisp, but that is only a small fraction of killing. The killer's reaction is always the part you savor. And Madder was not savoring this. So she had to die.

"If you could please release my knife, Mr. Fancypants, as he called you, I would appreciate it. I have other people to cut threads with today so I can't stay her and dilly dally with you stopping my knives in mid-air."

"I wouldn't release this knife even if it meant killing the Trick Master himself." Azlan flicked his hand and the knife tumbled to the side harmlessly. "Now, who dares to insult me? Might I request a nomenclature?"

"You certainly may," Madder replied, giving a wide smile and tipping his hat. "They call me, Madder Hatter, circus magician and," Madder lifted his head and made eye contact with Sloane, his eyes glowing a vibrant red, "serial killer extraordinaire."

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Alphys

And then, an explosion. Gunfire, mayhem, and just about everything else in the realms of total warfare broke out. I didn't know what the hell was going on, but before I decided to be an idiot and jump on in, I needed to know who was fighting who.

Thankfully, I doubted anyone was deranged enough to just target three uninvolved Bellossom just for the hell of it. But then again, logic didn't exactly come out of this whole thing unscathed. While the Trick Master could essentially create whatever loony thing he wanted, at least he couldn't read minds. If he could, seriously, I would be better off boiling in a vat of my own puke than at his mercy. I was never going to forgive him for that Goodra incident.

I then heard a voice shout out, and when I recognized it, I couldn't believe it. Holy crap, that was Sloane. It had been a little while, but when I looked to where she was shouting from, I saw she was involved in the fight. I couldn't see who she was fighting exactly, but she was with some other guy, half human, half some Pokémon I didn't recognize.

When she shot the sniper assailant, he ended up on the ground and then just disappeared. I figured maybe it was just one of the Trick Master's creations, but there was no real way of telling. I tried to move in closer, and Jubilee and Lei were very reluctant, looking more like they just wanted to get out of here rather than see what was going on and possibly get involved.

I was maybe only twenty feet away from her when a knife suddenly froze right in front her. She grabbed it, looking at a man in a suit and a top hat. This guy had to be another Trick Master creation. As the three of us moved in closer, I overheard the conversation.

"If you could please release my knife, Mr. Fancypants, as he called you, I would appreciate it," the suit guy told the hybrid that Sloane had called 'Dylan.' "I have other people to cut threads with today so I can't stay here and dilly dally with you stopping my knives in mid-air."

"I wouldn't release this knife even if it meant killing the Trick Master himself," the hybrid 'Dylan' replied, causing the knife to tumble to the side with just a flick of his hand. "Now, who dares to insult me? Might I request a nomenclature?"

"You certainly may," he replied, flashing a creepy smile and tipping his hat. "They call me, Madder Hatter," he told them, looking right at Sloane, "circus magician and serial killer extraordinaire."

Screw this maggot. For now, the hybrid had Madder under control, but there was no telling how long that was going to last for. As for us, I wasn't sure if this Madder guy had even seen the three of us or considered us a threat, but it didn't seem like he had really noticed us. Hopefully I could turn that into his biggest mistake of the day."

This wasn't going to be easy. I wanted to reveal to Sloane that I was Jonathan, but I didn't want to blow my cover. Unfortunately, there was no way to do both. If the Trick Master knew I was actually Jonathan Bradshaw and not some anonymous Bellossom, I was asking for all hell to break loose. But even like this, I was definitely still capable of helping her.

"What should we do?" Jubilee asked, looking concerned. "He almost killed that human girl!"

Thankfully, none of them, save for possibly the hybrid, could understand the Pokéspeech we were using.

"He even confessed to being a serial killer," I told her, knowing whether or not Sloane knew about me, I still had to help her. "We've got to take that Madder guy down! Follow my lead!"

Jubilee and Lei nodded. I focused my energy and concentration and unleashed a powerful Magical Leaf attack, which, unlike the traditional version, was more amplified knowing I had some slight power of manipulation over the physics of this altered world. Jubilee targeted him with a Sleep Powder attack while Lei attack Madder with a Leaf Storm strike.

Good luck dodging all this, you douchebag.

Even if for some miraculous reason he managed to dodge the Sleep Powder and the Leaf Storm, he was going to have to break the new reality to evade the Magical Leaves I flung at his ugly face. Maybe he could as one of the Trick Master's minions, but I figured this was worth a try.

"You leave that girl alone!" I shouted.

Even though I knew he wouldn't understand a word of what I was saying, I didn't care. Sloane was a friend of mine and even if she didn't ever figure out I was one of the Bellossom under cover, I'd still keep her safe anyway. No matter what the outcome of this fight was, now that I found her, I could follow her and the three of us could keep her safe.

Right now, it was five on one. Even if these attacks didn't beat the stuffing out of this deranged swine, his chances of surviving a fight like this were between nil and slim. And when we did shred him to pieces, I figured it would be a good idea for him to ask the Trick Master to recreate him as something less ridiculous, if the Trick Master was capable of such a thing.

[Shenili]

Elica Surge -
Human with frozen legs
Hoenn Safari Zone

After being here for almost half a year, Elica got used to this world, if it was even possible. She already knew what the food and entrances did, or that you can't die in this place and knew that it was the Trick Master that have done it. She learned that from the bearded man named Fiél that was one of the first people that entered the Trick House. Sadly enough, he became crazy after his Flareon died while killing a hide of zombies. He forgot that it respawned again, somewhere in the basement. She also heard how the Trick Master used his 3rd wish from Jirachi to rule over the world.
Right now, she was sitting on a big cube of water all hurled up and was looking at the sky with the color of the tongue of someone who ate too much sour candy through the transparent clouds. The sky looked normal in the horizon though. Her feet were frozen to the cube so she couldn't move and the ice was trying to freeze the whole body and thanks to the immunity Elica gained, she was able to slow down the process.
Two Pokemon under her, her mother's Dedenne that looked like Picasso's late years self-portrait:
http://picassolive.ru/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Pablo-Picasso_Autoportrait_03.07.1972.jpg
and her father's Raichu that was colored like shiny Lugia, were looking for something that could help Elica.

[Morzone]

(UGH, I wrote up a real nice starting response and then I hit backspace too many times and went back a page and it got deleted. So this is a shortened version. Sorry for taking so long :P)

Adrian Ife - Cyborg
Canalave City, Sinnoh
Affected RP'ers: none

Adrian stared out from the deck of the cruiser, waiting for the captain to announce their leaving. He'd already been waiting in the city for a few hours after getting his ticket for Slateport city. He had decided, not too long ago after watching a rock turn into a bubble, to head back to the Trick house. His reasoning was simple, if all the miserably enigmatic trouble had come from that house and its basement, then the solution for getting rid of it must have started there too.

So now he was waiting to head out from Sinnoh's main port to Slateport city. If only the damned captain would-

"RAISING ANCHORS! THE S.S. PHIONE IS NOW LEAVING THE HARBOR!"

"Finally" Adrian muttered, watching the water begin to move as the boat started. It changed from blue to green to pink as he looked. And large cupcakes were ballooning out of the boat's exhaust and floated away into the sky. He wondered if cupcakes could be classified as pollution.

Rowan Summers - Dragon
En route to Verdenturf town from Rustboro City
Affected RP'ers: none

Rowan sighed, being a dragon might have advantages, but it was really rather difficult to convince people that he wasn't some monster conjured up by this strange new world. Rowan had been chased away three times by the residents of Rustboro before finally giving up and heading out. He'd always heard verdenturf was a very relaxed town, though in the world's current state he doubted anyplace could really be relaxing.

The mixed sound of hissing, spitting, and furious wing flapping reached Rowan's ears and he turned his scaly head to see where it was coming from. His eyes fell on two oddly large and horribly disfigured Swellows chasing after him. Minions of the trick master. Trying not to panic, Rowan took a deep breath shot a large ball of hot flame at his chasers, forcing them to scatter. As they dodged the fire, Rowan busied himself with putting as much distance between himself and them as possible. It only partially worked. He was now a good long distance ahead, but he was still within their sights and neither bird had given up its pursuit.

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson & Azlan & Madder- Human & Azelf Gijinka & Human
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

All three attacks unleashed by the bellossom collided with a green shield that had been unseen until this point. But under the duress of the attacks that had been unleashed, the shield collapsed, leaving Madder with a sour look on his face. His eyes flickered yellow before he shifted his focus to the trio of grass types.

"That was a big mistake, little ones." Madder took a deep breath and unleashed a torrent of purple flames. But before the attack could collide with Jonathan and the others, Azlan jumped in the way and took the attack for him. He let out a loud cry and pain and collapsed on the cotton candy covered ground.

"Why does that hurt more than normal?" he wheezed out as he pushed himself up. Sloane sent out two of her pokemon, Shay and Asch, to stand between Azlan and Madder.

"It's what happens when you're part human, Azlan. We're more vulnerable." Sloane cocked her gun and aimed it at Madder, the knife resting at her feet. "I suggest you move along. Oasis survivor or otherwise, you're dangerous and I don't like it." The mention of Oasis survivors seemed to bring joy to Madder's eyes.

"Ah so you're an Oasis survivor? No wonder you look like you're in such pain. You're fighting the Trick Master's influence aren't you? This is an interesting development, as you're the first person I've seen able to do this. Oh well, all the more reason to kill you!" Madder suddenly disappeared from sight, his laughter echoing against the walls of the clearing. Sloane, Shay, and Asch stared around, confused, but that didn't stop Sloane from collapsing into the cotton candy snow. She breathed hard, trying to slow her heart rate, a dull throbbing in her head as the fog tried to force its way forward.

Dylan Thomas & Fox Oleander - Rapidash Centaur==>Ghost Boy & Mermaid==>Ghost Mermaid
Route 100 Lakeside
Affected RPers: N/A

Dylan and Fox stood on guard as a Vileplume in sand camouflage coloring stumbled forward. At first it did not appear threatening, until it locked eyes with Dylan and Fox. Its eyes were a gleaming red and without warning the Vileplume shot a mysterious powder at the two. Dylan recoiled and tried to blow it away with fire but it failed. The powder settled over the two and their forms began to shift. When they opened their eyes again, the two were ghosts and the Vileplume was gone.

"Oh come on!" Dylan looked over at Fox and stifled back a laugh. Despite having changed forms, Fox had still maintained her mermaid form, just as a ghost. Dylan began to wonder if this was going to be a running them for her. Dylan looked down over himself. He seemed to be a parody of the protagonist from that children's show "Danny Phantump". He was exactly the same other than Dylan had his usual human appearance, just in the ghostly uniform and all.

"Hey it's not all bad, at least you can leave the water now," Dylan offered. This only earned a glare from Fox. Dylan looked out into the distance and spotted Slateport City. "We should head towards there now, while we can."

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

I didn't know this bastard had a shield. It was completely invisible until all of our attacks collided with it.

He then shot some purple flames at us, but then the hybrid jumped in and blocked the attack. And it looked like it hurt him way more than he expected it would. I approached him, and used my Grassy Terrain ability, turning a patch of this forsaken candyland into natural grass. It would heal this Azlan guy a little bit, but it wasn't exactly a miracle cure.

They mentioned something about being Oasis survivors, which was definitely beyond my knowledge. Still, the madman suddenly disappeared from sight, threatening to kill Sloane. She had collapsed onto the ground, looking exhausted and in pain.

As I tried to amplify the area of the Grassy Terrain, I figured it would be way more helpful to Sloane than this useless cotton candy. It's healing effect was slow, but it was better than nothing. Although I was beginning to figure she was wondering why a bunch of Bellossom were suddenly going out of their way to help her. I was sure Jubilee and Lei were probably thinking I was being extra compassionate when really it was because I had met Sloane before.

As much as I wanted to ask Sloane if she was feeling better, she wouldn't understand what I was saying. I figured a gentle rub on her shoulder with my hand was enough to give her a sign that I was on her side and had her back. She might think I was just an anonymous Bellossom that wanted to be caring and helpful, but hey, I was fine with that for now.

Still, I absolutely couldn't reveal I was Jonathan. Not to anyone. The Trick Master had WAY too much power to risk doing that, and if he caught me, I was sure the outcome would be brutal.

"Things seem so dangerous now!" Jubilee told me, realizing I was trying to heal Sloane and Azlan. "Why is this Trick Master doing this?"

"This is his idea of paradise," I told her, nodding as I figured I knew this guy pretty well now. "But, it's not everyone else's. I think if we want to undo what was done here, we need to find someone who could help reverse this effect and stop him. There are a few Pokémon that might be able to help with that."

I didn't know all of the legendary Pokémon, but one came to mind. Dialga. He could reverse the effect of time, which could be pretty useful in restoring things to a previous state in the timestream. But, I could imagine the Trick Master might be aware of this. As painful as it was to admit, the power of reality manipulation was arguably much more powerful.

<You would be right, but we cannot disclose who and where we are.>

Whoa. I looked around, knowing someone HAD to have been using telepathy right there. Problem was I didn't know telepathy myself. I mean, it sure would have been nice if Bellossom had psychic powers, but...

<Who's?>

Or... wait a minute.

<Yes, you can do it. Keep trying. You're already gained a handle on how to break the rules of this place, but you need to be confident that you can to do it.>

Telepathy. It was really the only kind of communication that could be used that the Trick Master could not peer into. Sure, he could make himself psychic, but omniscience would probably blown his brains out if he tried to listen to everything and everyone at once. He had his powers, but in the end, he was still at least human-minded. He could only control reality, but he simply couldn't create knowledge for himself out of nothing.

In the meantime, I tried to get a little more telepathy practice in. I just had to concentrate on the message in my mind, and then whisk it back to wherever it came from. It involved putting my hands on my forehead and shutting my eyes to concentrate, but it was actually working. For some reason, the psychic messages were coming from the ocean, so I sent mine back there.

<Who ...who are you? Am I doing this right?>

<I am the legendary Pokémon known as Lugia. Trust me, all of us are well-aware of what has transpired here, but even with our collective powers, we have been suppressed and targeted. Adversary One has the power to reverse whatever we do to unmake his altered reality.>

It didn't take a genius to figure out "Adversary One" was in fact in reference to the Trick Master. Honestly, I liked that title for him better. It sounded way less like a compliment and painted him like the true villain he really was.

<I take it he's been after all of you legendaries.>

<Precisely. Arceus has been active trying to undo whatever dark fate Adversary One bestows upon our alliance, but it has been overwhelming. I believe in time, he may need to resort to Plan B. We need temporary new legendary Pokémon that have control and resistance over these new forces. Arceus is afraid that if anyone were to be given such power, they would have extreme difficulty letting go of it when the mission has been completed.>

I could see his point. Problem was...

...I really didn't see any other way of going about this.

[Shenili]

Elica Surge - Human -> ???
Hoenn Safari Zone
Affected RPers: None

Elica's third Pokemon, Marill named Ramii was in her Pokeball with a small heart on it. Pokeball was in the Elica's backpack. She was using her powers to stop her hands to burn and hey legs to froze and was waiting for her other two Pokemon to feed her something, so she'll change q other things.
Meanwhile, her other two Pokemon, now speaking Burmese, were looking for food. Unfortunately, they couldn't find anything, aside from hair-like grass and random giant stone shells bigger than the average person, just being there..
Finally, Dedenne found some kind of seeds growing near one of the shells. They looked glitched and some of them were just plainly white. Deformed Antenna Pokemon called miscolored Raichu, they picked up a few seeds and went to Elica.
The problem was that.. they didn't know how to give it to her. After some thought, they came to the only way, start throwing it at her.
Elica was quite shocked when her Pokemon started throwing seeds at her, but they finally get one of the seeds in her mouth and she started changing her appearance.

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson & Azlan- Human & Azelf Gijinka
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Sloane lifted her head ever so slightly when the grassy terrain reached her. A ghost of a smile reached her lips. It wouldn't do her any good since her pain was mental, not physical. It was still a sweet gesture from the Bellossom though. Sloane gazed at it for a minute, something about the bellossom bothering her, but Sloane decided to let it go. It was of no concern to her in any matter. Sloane coughed a little and looked up at the sky. The Trick Master's influence was growing and it worried Sloane greatly.

"Azlan." The Azelf turned over to look at the girl. He frowned and shook his head. Sloane frowned in confusion, until she noticed Azlan's head jewel glowing. Psychic communications. It was one of the few things she knew psychic types were proficient at. Azlan had explained that if his head gem was glowing, he was either participating it or listening in on a psychic conversation. Sloane had to wonder which it was currently, but she decided to leave it be.

Sloane stood up slowly and returned her pokemon to their pokeballs. Stretching a little, Sloane began to walk around the square, knowing Azlan was watching. She was trying to keep patrol but at the same time, Sloane wanted to escape in case she snapped. Then no one else would be harmed if she was alone. That was the goal anyway.

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

I was wondering what was going on when the hybrid shook his head and the gem on his forehead was glowing. I wasn't sure what it was, but I stopped what I was doing. Sloane had gotten up off the ground and it seemed she was doing better, but there was no denying the fact this place was bothering her to no end and she looked to be on edge. And considering she came within seconds of being killed, that was totally understandable. Still, she had given me curious looks before, but there was still no solid indication she managed to figure out I was Jonathan.

"Think she'll be okay?" Lei asked me, looking concerned as she anxiously fidgeted with her leaf skirt. "Why would that creep want to kill her?"

"No idea," I sighed, shaking my flowered head. "I thought that might have been one of the Trick Master's thugs, but I'm beginning to think there's no connection."

I also didn't know what he meant by the Oasis survivors. It was probably something that involved Sloane when we were separated.

But in the meantime, when I tried to sense Lugia again, I couldn't detect anything. I wasn't sure if he wasn't there anymore or if I wasn't doing this telepathy thing right. It was also likely he had to bail out of there. His idea did make sense, but it was taking a risk that Arceus might not agree with. I could figure they were still trying to figure out a sane solution without having to resort to something crazy. In this situation, fighting fire with fire was probably a bad idea.

But, up above, things were just getting worse. The sky was a swirling mix of pink, purple, and blue and it was still snowing cotton candy in this deranged candyland that the Trick Master... or "Adversary One" had created. It was becoming obvious that the longer this guy was in power, the more he was changing the entire world and the worse things would become. And right now, I was beginning to feel all of this was going to have to be reversed the hard way. Simply popping this guy in the head might not have the same effect as tearing his dreamworlds apart.

"NYA! IT CAME FROM HERE!"

We were suddenly shocked when a loud, booming voice suddenly shouted out from behind us. As the three of us turned around, I saw what looked like two gigantic cats standing upright, both standing about twenty feet tall, one with purple and pink fur while the other had fur in shades of blue. Immediately, they both looked at Azlan.

"PSYCHIC CHAT, HUH?" the pink and purple one shouted with an anticipating grin. "AND YOU DIDN'T INVITE US!? SHAME, NYA!"

"WELL, WELL, YOU JUST INCURRED THE ANTICS OF TABBYO AND PATTYO!" the blue one roared proudly, puffing himself up. "I'M PATTYO AND THIS IS TABBYO! NYA! WE'RE THE LEGENDARY POKÉMON OF CANDY AND MISCHIEF, RESPECTIVELY!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. THESE were the kinds of legendary Pokémon the Trick Master was creating? We definitely needed to pull the plug on these stupid things before he kept making more. Meanwhile, I couldn't even figure out what types these Pokémon might be and if a Bellossom's grass attacks would be effective. However, considering how huge they were and how small I was, I was beginning to wonder if it was even worth bothering.

In the meantime, I was beginning to worry these cat legendaries heard too much of the telepathic discussion between Lugia and myself. I knew the Trick Master couldn't make himself entirely psychic, but that wouldn't stop him from creating psychic Pokémon to help monitor the "airwaves." I hadn't realized that until it was too late.

"SOMEONE HERE WAS TELEPATHICALLY TALKING TO LUGIA!" this 'Tabbyo' idiot sneered. "TALKING TO A DUNCE POKÉMON IS NOT ALLOWED, NYA! SO WHO WAS IT, HMM!? TELL US NOW, OR YOU WILL ALL SUFFER MANY HOURS OF CANDY-COATED WRATH!"

He looked right at the hybrid, suspecting he looked like the only being here with psychic capabilities. I was thinking of just keeping my mouth shut, but then again, I wasn't exactly sure how we would be able to take on two giant asinine kitty cats with just us. And I wasn't sure what this "candy-coated wrath" entailed, but playing it like it was no big deal in this stupid candyland pisshole was something I was not about to chance. On top of everything else, it looked like Sloane had already endured her fill of this place and needed a break from stupid things and people harassing her. If a quick confession just pushed this aside, it was worth it.

"It was me," I smiled and shrugged, closing my eyes casually as I looked at them with a carefree composure while talking down the severity of this incident. "Hey, I think we're all a little new to the rules here. Weren't we supposed to get an instruction manual or something?"

"VERY FUNNY," Pattyo replied sarcastically. "DON'T TALK TO THEM AGAIN! ARCEUS AND HIS DUNCE GANG ARE OFF LIMITS TO ALL CITIZENS OF TRICKONIA, NYA! THAT INCLUDES YOU!"

I tried to just shrug innocently even though I wanted to wince and cringe at the fact they just called this new, warped world "Trickonia" and labeled me as a citizen of it. That, and them calling Arceus and the real legendary Pokémon as "dunces" had to be the most irritating thing in the world to them.

In the meantime, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to contact Arceus or the other legendaries now without nimrods like these two showing up. A face to face meeting would definitely get seen by the Trick Master, and now contacting them by telepathy was off-limits. It seemed like they were willing to let me off with a warning for now, but it just made things more difficult when it came to finding ways to shut this place down.

And I also figured I might have brought on more suspicion to myself to Sloane, the hybrid, and Jubilee and Lei. Tabbyo and Pattyo might not have been aware, but a Bellossom wasn't supposed to have telepathic powers. I wasn't sure if they were going to report that to the Trick Master. If they did, he might not think too much of it, though.

Judging by the looks of the two of them, I was going to place my bet on them not figuring it out. I was just hoping this wouldn't bite back at me later on, however...

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson & Azlan- Human & Azelf Gijinka
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Well Jonathan was right about one thing, the whole contacting Lugia thing definitely drew their attention. Sloane was still trying to noodle on it when Azlan came to the realization that this was no normal Bellossom, just like Azlan was no normal hybrid. Then again, was any hybrid normal? Azlan was pondering over the whole situation when a particular phrase caught his ear.

"ARCEUS AND HIS DUNCE GANG ARE OFF LIMITS TO ALL CITIZENS OF TRICKONIA, NYA! THAT INCLUDES YOU!"

"Dunce… gang?" There wasn't much that could tick Azlan off. Disrespecting a legendary? That would do it though. Azlan, despite not being fully healed, stood up. His gem stopped glowing and, in turn, his eyes began to glow. "How dare you mock the monarchy of the world you have disgraced!" Azlan held before unleashing a series of psychic explosions around the two "legendary" Pokemon.

Sloane was sent tumbling back from the shockwaves and her headache only grew in pain. She covered her ears and shut her eyes in an unsuccessful attempt to block out her surroundings. Heat beat against her body as Azlan continued his onslaught, the explosions only growing stronger in power.

"Your power, your reign, everything about you is false! And your dare to insult the true creator? He could destroy you without taking a breath but you are simply not worth the effort, so I will dispose of you for him." Azlan raised his hand in the air and a sword formed in his hand, the Kusunagi. Closing his left eye, he swiped six different times, each stroke leaving a long blue mark in the air. Azlan stabbed his sword into the ground and the slashes were sent against the false legendaries.

Azlan took several deep breaths, the effort wearing him out but his anger still fueling him like an adrenaline substitute. He had already effectively given away his identity but if these creatures were stupid enough to think a bellossom was capable of telepathy, surely they would not know who he was, and he still had one more trump card up his sleeve.

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

To the hybrid, what Pattyo said had to be on the level of sacrilegious monstrosity. His eyes glowed and he looked at Pattyo like he signed a death wish.

"How dare you mock the monarchy of the world you have disgraced!" the hybrid screamed.

He then unleashed a chain of psychic energy blasts at Pattyo and Tabbyo that I swore, I had no idea what those attacks actually were, but was sure glad I wasn't on the receiving end of those. Everyone took cover as the hybrid was pissed off enough to literally rip the limbs off of the two gigantic candy-colored cats.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!!" Pattyo screamed as the hybrid used enough psychic energy to rip both of his arms off. "I'LL KICK YOU INTO THE MOON!"

"Your power, your reign, everything about you is false!" the hybrid shouted. "And you dare to insult the true creator? He could destroy you without taking a breath, but you are simply not worth the effort, so I will dispose of you for him."

I had no idea how this guy managed to form a freaking sword in his hands, but he used it to rip several wind slashes in the air to direct them right at the two cats. One of them decapitated Tabbyo's screaming head while one of the others tore into Pattyo and ripped open a gruesome chest cavity. Suddenly, both of them shook, quivered, and then just outright exploded.

Their deaths definitely weren't normal. They exploded into colorful shooting stars and fireworks, raining a rainbow of sparks and embers all around. Once the pyrotechnics stopped and they fizzled away, there was nothing left of the cats save for char marks. It was the kind of thing that surprised me for a few seconds before remembering that everything in this mangled world had gone totally nuts and I really shouldn't be surprised by anything.

"Thank you," I told the hybrid with a sigh of relief, feeling that soothing feeling that comes when something horribly annoying has been eradicated for good. "That probably landed you on the Trick Master's bounty board, but that's a club that's growing in number every day."

And heck, if only he know I was practically the founder of that club. I wasn't sure how much he really knew about me, but I had a feeling he was already onto the fact that I was not a normal Bellossom, even though I tried to act like one that just happened to have quite a few street smarts.

"Who ...are you?" Jubilee asked the hybrid, looking baffled at the guy's display of power and ferocity. "I've never seen anything do anything like that before!"

"The rules can be bent a little more than usual now," I told Jubilee, letting her know this was probably a foreign concept to her, but was going to be something she needed to keep in mind if she got into another fight. "This new reality is, to say the least, warped and distorted, but that doesn't mean it has to work against you. It looks like this guy definitely knows quite a bit on how to use it to his advantage."

Jubilee nodded, but she was still in awe at the hybrid.

In the meantime, I looked around. Things seemed to be getting darker. As I had suspected, it didn't take long before someone noticed Tabbyo and Pattyo were now incredibly dead.

I then heard something crack, followed by something heavy hitting the ground. I turned to look only to see the entire candy-created city of Slateport was starting to rapidly decay, crumble, and fall apart. And soon enough, there was some bizarre, hollow, echoing moaning sound that started to drift throughout the city.

Something told me this day definitely wasn't even close to over, yet...

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson & Azlan- Human & Azelf Gijinka
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Azlan's eyes returned to normal as the two false legendaries exploded. He sighed and let the Kusanagi disappear. Good, he still had his ultimate trump card unknown to the Trick Master. At least he had that advantage, but how long would he be able to go with it? He glanced over as everyone was staring at Azlan in awe. He raised his eyebrows before realizing none of these people had realized his identity either. Now he was faced with a dilemma, admit it or stay secret?

"Thank you, that probably landed you on the Trick Master's bounty board, but that's a club that's growing in number every day."

"As if I wasn't already," Azlan replied with a smirk. "Though I let my rage get the best of me. If he didn't before, surely the Trick Master knows who I am now. Then again, maybe he hasn't read up on his Sinnoh lore in a while."

"Who ...are you? I've never seen anything do anything like that before!"

"The rules can be bent a little more than usual now. This new reality is, to say the least, warped and distorted, but that doesn't mean it has to work against you. It looks like this guy definitely knows quite a bit on how to use it to his advantage."

"I must apologize for my display of anger, it is not a trait usually displayed by me. My sister, yes, but my brother and I are usually not so susceptible. Especially not my brother. It was just quite irritating to hear those false creations disgrace those that I serve." Azlan knelt down to Jubilee. "On the off chance the Trick Master hasn't figured it out yet, I'd prefer not to reveal my actual identity. But let's just say, I was sent to investigate this mess by the Creator himself." Azlan looked over at Jonathan. "What you saw was not the Trick Master's powers, but my own. I have always been able to do it, I just seem to... be more powerful in this state."

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

The hybrid confirmed what he was doing was not actually connected with this "Trickonia" mess that the Trick Master had created. It sounded like he was sent as a specialist by Arceus, and it easily led me to believe he really was one of the legendaries. It didn't take me very long at all to know it was Azelf, but I decided when it came to picking sides, I'd rather go with the real legendaries than these fake, stupid ones the Trick Master crapped out.

In the meantime, it really didn't take long before candyland Slateport suddenly looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic horror movie. Then, we heard the Trick Master's ominous voice echoing from all around. Really, this dimwit was doing everything he could to sound and act like the new god.

"Now look at what you have done. All of Slateport City lies in ruins, thanks to you. Without Tabbyo and Pattyo to provide the power of candy and whimsy to keep the city alive, it has crumbled into dust."

Really, now whose fault was that?

"Must I remind you yet again that only my legendaries have the real power here? Destroying them will only tear this world apart and cause apocalyptic imbalance. Is it your desire to kill everyone and destroy everything?"

"Please stop!" Jubilee pleaded. "What was so wrong with the way the world was before!?"

"Everything! Every day was the same! The world that Arceus created was so abysmally bland and without change, imagination, and wonder! Humans were obsessed with money and fame while Pokémon battled for territory and power. Now look at you all! The tables have turned and the rules and knowledge you once had are for nothing! Every day will be different, and everything you know will be unpredictable! You never know what the next moment will bring!"

So we were pretty much eternally lost in a world where maps were useless and every day would leave everyone confused and bewildered. He sure didn't have me sold on this whole thing of his.

"But we don't want it like this!" Jubilee shouted.

"I want it like this! Not everyone will appreciate it at first, but in time, you'll see how much better things will be! Savor the eternal mystery! Enjoy the unending wonder!"

His voice soon faded away as the last remnants of candyland Slateport City crumbled to dust. I wasn't sure if the real Slateport City was gone now, or if this was really just some kind of cover-up illusion. The other question was if the Trick Master was going to just leave it like that, or if he was going to turn it into something different in time.

"It's not your fault," I told Azelf, knowing he did what I would have done if I could. "I'm not sure if the real Slateport City is gone now, but it had to be done. Those two cats were probably just a hint of the kinds of phony legendaries the Trick Master created. I'm sure there are others."

But there was no telling what would happen if we killed them, too. Would things go back to normal, or would it just be the apocalypse for everyone? I really didn't know this time. I wasn't even sure if Arceus could recreate the world from scratch. Maybe there were certain legendaries that could undo these effects without having to cause all of reality to crumble into ruin.

Still, it was anyone's guess on where to find them. I looked toward Azelf, wondering if he might know. He had to know and be aware of what I was thinking. I decided to try telepathy again, really not caring if it caused more of the Trick Master's idiot minions to come down here.

<I don't think we can attack the Trick Master directly. His power is far too strong, as much as I hate to admit it, but I'm sure some of the legendaries might have powers that can undo what he created.>

There was also the plan that Lugia had told me about, but now there was no sign of him anywhere...

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson & Azlan- Human & Azelf Gijinka
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Azlan, seeing the destruction, picked up Sloane, making sure to be careful with her and retreated with the others to a safer location. He stared on at the collapsing city with emotionless eyes, not really caring about its fate. If his experience with the house was anything to go by, everyone in the destruction would be more or less fine. They were not of his concern anyway.

Sloane tensed in Azlan's arms, her headache multiplying in pain from the mere presence of the Trick Master. The fog intensified, and it was taking every ounce of her strength to fight against it. She wouldn't succumb to it. She couldn't! Not yet! Not ever! Sloane's breathing quickly became labored and Azlan glanced down at her when he detected her body temperature rising above the safe level. Azlan barely focused on the Trick Master's words, not caring nor finding it vital to his current position. Azlan scanned the nearby area, hoping for some rawst berries, but before he could locate any, Sloane's temperature began to drop again. Azlan noticed that the Trick Master's presence had disappeared, and Sloane seemed to relax from that.

Azlan placed Sloane on the ground again when he suddenly felt a psychic message press against his conscience. His head jewel began to glow as he answered.

'Brothers! Are you there? Can either of you hear me?' It called out. Before Azlan could answer, another message came in.

<I don't think we can attack the Trick Master directly. His power is far too strong, as much as I hate to admit it, but I'm sure some of the legendaries might have powers that can undo what he created.>

Azlan frowned, not recognizing this psychic pressure. He scanned the nearby area before making eye contact with one of the Bellossom. This was the one who claimed to have contacted Lugia had it not? Maybe it was capable of psychic communication after all. Azlan nodded at the bellossom to say that he had received the message, but did not reply just yet. Returning his attention to the primary conversation, Azlan began to communicate with the other two on the end of his telepathy, unaware that Jonathan could hear it due to the psychic path being open.

'I hear you, sister. I am currently resting in what was once my cavern on Lake Acuity. Now it is a giant fruit on top of a jello mountain. Other than the displeasing change, I am in a favorable state. What about you, sister? And what of brother?'

'I am here as well, siblings. I apologize for my absence. The Trick House Lord Arthur sent me to investigate ended up being much more of a problem than any of us anticipated. I believe the Trick Master used Priestess Juma's wish granting capabilities to create this horrorland. In addition, given the psychic residue I can sense in the area, the priestess has already returned to her slumber. I am currently with a group of bellossom and a human. We are working together to possibly try and halt the Trick Master's efforts, but it will be much more difficult than I anticipated. The Trick Master is creating false legendaries, and, in my rage, I destroyed two, causing the entire destruction of what was once Slateport. I fear now that it is possible the Trick Master's life may be tied to the world, and killing him would cause the end of the world.'

'Stay strong, brother! I know you will find a solution. If you can stay determined, then your willpower will pass onto anyone you encounter, and then you will be able to achieve anything!' There was an abrupt silence from one end, causing Azlan to draw his eyebrows together in confusion. 'There is someone here. Please hang on, I will hide myself.' There is more silence for a few minutes before the voice comes back but it is not directed towards those she is communicating with. 'Wait! Stop! How did you find me? Leave me alone! I said, leave me al-' There is a loud scream on the end, causing Azlan to cover his ears out of reflex. Both Azlan and the other speaker scream 'Sister!' over the line as loud as they can manage, but there is no answer.

'Uriel, stay safe. Do not get into harms way if at all possible. Stay hidden and keep on guard. They will be coming after one of us next and I would prefer to rescue my sister rather than join her in whatever they plan to do to her.'

'Agreed. You stay safe as well, and be wary of everyone. You never know who might be in cahoots with the Trick Master.'

Azlan sat down on the cotton candy snow and put a hand to his forehead, letting out a loud sigh, the conversation as a whole taking a toll on him.

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

I wasn't too crazy about being so close to the Trick Master's scrutiny. From what I could see with Azelf, he was using psychic communication and it looked like whoever was on the other line was making him anxious. I couldn't listen in, but I could tell it was all just reinforcing the idea that things were getting worse every passing minute this Trickonia cesspool showed its ugly face of horror.

Not to mention I had a feeling I was raising suspicion to myself. A Bellossom with psychic powers was very unusual, but then again, so were a ton of other things around here. Maybe he was thinking it was just a glitch or a fluke and nothing serious. I couldn't keep chancing it, though. Eventually something would slip and I wouldn't be prepared for it, so I had to start thinking of ways to do something that would make this whole thing worth the time and effort.

"We'd better get out of here," I told the others, seeing Slateport, if this pile of candy ruins and dust really was Slateport, really had nothing left for us. "Regardless of the kind of damage it does, we need to hunt down the Trick Master's legendaries. Worrying about reversing the damage is just something we have to handle later."

I wasn't sure how we could kill off the false legendaries faster than the Trick Master could create them. Only one thing came to mind.

Distracting and exhausting him. Despite his powers, he still had the mind of a human. His powers were extreme and limited only to his imagination. And I... needed to exhaust his imagination. To the point where his creative muse hit maximum writer's block and he simply couldn't dream up any more garbage to throw at us because he had exhausted everything his creative mind could vomit out. But this was NOT, by any means, going to be a fun experience.

Sloane and Azelf, along with the real legendaries, could be given time to kill off the Trick Master's legendaries if... I revealed myself to the Trick Master. He couldn't focus on dealing with me and Sloane at the same time. But it did mean I'd end up having to subject myself to plenty of the Trick Master's tortures and I'd have to tear my way through them until he couldn't think of any more. I had to be confident that I could outsmart his traps like I did with the zombie and the fat Goodra, no matter how bad the situation seemed. In fact, I was getting a better handle at figuring out the ways of this place. The only way to keep the plan secret was to communicate through Azelf, who could then telepathically tell Sloane the plan and who I really was.

I looked to Azelf, and just made this psychic message quick. I didn't want any of those bastard legendaries overhearing this. Especially no one like those two stupid cats that Azelf eviscerated.

<I'm going to need you and Sloane to find and gather the real legendaries and start killing off the Trick Master's fake ones. Sloane knows me, I'm Jonathan, a friend of hers, but I know the second I speak that name out loud, I'm target priority one for the Trick Master and I probably won't last another five seconds without him doing something nefarious to me. While he's dealing with me, it's drawing his attention away from the two of you and what's going on with his minions. He can't be dealing with both of us since there's only one of him. I'll try to keep in contact if I can. I know your psychic signature and it shouldn't be too difficult for me to find again. Good luck, buddy.>

With that message sent across, it was time to let the truth out. This plan was reckless, but it was the only thing that I thought would work. Not to mention with Sloane hurt and aching the way she was, I'd rather be taking the direct pain and punishment than let her deal with it.

"I have a confession to make," I told Lei and Jubilee with a hard sigh. "I'm sorry, but I'm not really a Bellossom."

"No?" Jubilee asked me, looking very surprised. "But you definitely look like one, Wishflower!"

"I'm not," I told her, looking at eyes with a shameful but compassionate smile. "The guilt's been killing me lately and it just keeps getting worse. I'm sorry, you two, but I'm normally a human. This was simply meant to be a disguise and when I found the two of you, I was really happy to have friends like you to help have my back. But the whole time, I felt like I was lying. Both of you believed I was the real deal and you both deserve to know the truth."

"Oh..." Lei muttered, looking shocked but sympathetic. "I never would have guessed, but you definitely seem like a very nice Bellossom. But... who are you really?"

Now here, I wasn't sure if the Trick Master was going to think I was being careless with the confession. I wasn't lying when I said the guilt was killing me.

"Jonathan," I whispered to Lei and Jubilee, pretending I thought that would be enough for the Trick Master not to overhear. "Don't say it too loud, because-"

And then, boom. Just as I suspected.

"Because WHAT!? You're afraid of ME LISTENING IN!?"

I tried to act shocked and surprised, and in a way, I kind of was. I was definitely going to have to brace myself for whatever hell this guy had in store.

"No way, that's impossible!" I shouted at the sky, trying to act as best as I could to think I could have gotten away with telling them. "You couldn't have heard that! Where the hell are you eavesdropping!?"

"Quite a cute disguise, Jonathan. You had everyone fooled, and it figures you let something like guilt blow your cover. Or your overconfidence in thinking that I wouldn't be watching and listening. I've been waiting to hear your name somewhere, anywhere, and now it all makes sense coming from you. I have ears everywhere. That's just how gods are. I see and know all."

Not quite, you stupid bastard.

"You're no god," I shouted back. "You're just some psycho maniac who only got his powers from three lousy wishes. Without Jirachi, you'd be nothing but some rejected circus clown!"

"No matter. Wave goodbye to your friends, Jonathan. We're going to have some fun."

I just looked to Sloane for that one last second, and then everything went black as I was suddenly whisked away and vanished completely from sight...

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson & Azlan- Human & Azelf Gijinka
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Sloane noticed how troubled everyone looked by the recent developments. She wouldn't deny she felt somewhat troubled as well, with the Trick Master’s influence constantly fighting for dominance inside her head. But she had to stay positive! It's what Dylan would want her to do. After all, Sloane was the optimistic of the couple.

“Azlan, is something the matter?” Sloane asked. Azlan cast a side glance before returning his gaze to the ground. Sloane took that as a yes. Was it possible something had happened to one or both of his siblings. Sloane noticed Azlan perk up and look over at one of the Bellossom with interest. She had seen them all conversing quite a bit lately but had no idea what they were saying, which irritated her. She wanted to be included but had no idea how to insert herself in.

“Wait, Bellossom what do you-” Azlan stopped when he realized Jonathan had already made up his mind. He took a deep breath and sighed. If this was what he wished, then so be it. Azlan saw no reason to stop him other than it might upset Sloane, but Azlan could take the heat for that if it came to that. Azlan watched as the Bellossom began to speak to the others. Suddenly the Trick Master’s voice came booming out, making Sloane jump. A look of confusion spread across her face when he referred to the Bellossom as Jonathan, until the realization hit her. She stared at Jonathan then jumped out at him.

“No! Jonathan, no, don’t leave me!” She tried to grab onto him but he was gone before he could get him. Sloane felt tears rush to her eyes. “Jonathan… no…” Azlan started to move beside her when a voice called out.

“Sloane!”

Dylan Thomas & Fox Oleander -Ghost Boy & Ghost Mermaid
Slateport City
Affected RPers: N/A

Dylan and Fox had seen the collapse of Slateport, causing them to double their efforts towards the city. They had to see if there were any survivors in the area. Moving much quicker than before, the two swished through the air, dodging the people and pokemon that were fleeing the wreckage. It was then that Fox spotted a group huddled nearby and the braid was unmistakable.

“Dylan! Dylan, look over there!” Dylan shifted his attention to the direction Fox was pointing. His eyes widened when he saw Sloane’s braid. He didn’t waste a second, shooting off towards her.

“Sloane!” Sloane looked up only to be tackled by Dylan in a hug. “You’re okay! Oh my Arceus, you have no idea how worried I was.” Sloane sniffed and hugged Dylan back tightly.

“Dylan,” she whimpered, “I missed you! You’re alive. You’re okay. Thank the heavens.” The two held each other close for a few minutes, whispering quietly when Sloane suddenly gasped and her eyes became unfocused. Dylan pulled back slightly then glanced down and swore.

“Damn it! Sloane, don’t do this! I just got you back! I’m not letting you go that easily!” Dylan reached around Sloane, pulling a knife from her back, then plunged it into his own chest. They both collapsed into the cotton candy snow, fingers barely touching as they bled out. Their bodies disintegrated, the ashes blowing away with the wind.

Madder Hatter-Human
Slateport City
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

“Tsk, tsk. Young love is so temperamental,” Madder said to no one in particular as he retrieved his knife. Dylan and Sloane’s blood were still on the blade, trickling down to the hilt as Madder examined it. “Oh well, I wish them the best of fortune. May they end up together after their long due separation. Blah blah.” Madder glanced over to Azlan and the two bellossom. “Oh? And what have we here? You’re that hybrid from earlier, aren’t you? And more fresh meat, it seems. Good, I will enjoy carving out your corpses!”

Sloane Jackson and Dylan Thomas- Nidorina and Nidorino
Hoenn Safari Zone
Affected RPers: Shenili

“Ngh… Dylan?” Sloane rubbed her eyes as she tried to sit up. She felt awkwardly shaped, like the body wasn’t meant to fit her. She glanced down at her hands and gasped. “This… this isn’t right!” Sloane looked around before spotting a Nidorino that was unconscious. She ran over to it and gently shook him. “Hey… wake up! Come on!” The Nidorino groaned and looked up.

“Sloane? Is that you?” he asked.

“Yeah! It’s me! Dylan?”

“In the flesh and blood.” Sloane sighed with relief then looked around. Exactly where were they?

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Bellossom
Slateport City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

Sloane only realized it just a second too late.

"No!" She shouted. "Jonathan, no, don't leave me!"

I didn't want to leave her, but I was just helpless to do anything about it, and I could only hope she would make the best of what was about to happen. Everything had just gone black and I lost sight of everything. But in that fading sight, I had seen something unsettling. That knife-wielding psycho had returned, but I couldn't do a damn thing to stop him...


I honestly felt ready for anything. Violent, painful, disgusting, stupid, I had seen just about every color of this maniac's dreamworlds and I knew he simply wanted me broken, not dead or helpless.


Jonathan Bradshaw - Stunky
Outside of Rustboro City, Hoenn

"WAKE UP!"

Sweet mother of Arceus, I woke up with a start. I opened my eyes and couldn't believe what I was seeing.

A classroom... but all the students and the teacher were all Pokémon. And it was outside in the open with little desks made of wood and even a chalkboard up in front. What the hell. The teacher, some crabby-looking Clefable, and all of the students, all various unevolved Pokémon, were looking at me and giggling.

"That's the second time today you've fallen asleep in my class!" the crabby Celfable shouted at me. "I want you to see me after the bell. This is unacceptable behavior!"

"Whatever," I replied.

Whatever was right. I had graduated freaking college years ago, so whatever crap these kiddie Pokémon were learning was probably something I could ace in two seconds.

"Don't whatever me!" the cranky Celfable shouted. "Do as you're told, and don't talk back!"

I wasn't sure what the Trick Master was attempting to do this time, but this was laughably mild in comparison to some of the other crap he's put me through. The Clefable went back to teaching the class about what looked like basic mathematics. Seriously second grade garbage. Come on.

She went back to teaching and I didn't even bother taking notes. Ooh, two apples plus nine apples equals guess how many apples? Please, I had been doing personal finances for years, so this was just a waste of my time.

I then felt a slight groaning in my stomach.

Hunger? No, it didn't feel like that, though. It was more of a sickly kind of feeling. Almost like I needed to go to the bathroom. At first, it didn't make sense, but then I realized I wasn't a Bellossom anymore. Nope. I had purple and beige fur. I didn't have a mirror on me, so I didn't know exactly what Pokémon I was...

The groaning got a little louder. I was hoping no one else heard it, but so far, it didn't seem like it was the case. I wasn't even paying much attention to what the Clefable was teaching, but I figured it might be a good idea to try and get out of here if I could.

"Hey, teach," I spoke up. "Could I get-"

"BE QUIET!" she shouted.

Well, so much for that. I just rolled my eyes and figured maybe I could speed up this stupid lesson and get out of here faster.

"So, who can tell me what two apples plus nine apples equals?" the crabby Celfable asked.

"Eleven!" I shouted, trying to speed this along. "Come on, this is easy!"

"Raise your hand when you have the answer!" she shouted back at me. "And no, that's incorrect."

What!? Oh, this had to be a joke.

"Yeah, nine, ten, eleven," I told her, thinking she had gone senile. "Don't you know how to count?"

"No, no, no!" she shouted as she got angrier. "You're skipping twenty, fourteen, and twelve again! We talked about this! Don't you know how to carry over the number!?"

I started laughing. Wow, this was exceedingly stupid. Trick Master, good luck hiring an accountant if you liked screwing around with math in your stupid dreamworlds.

"It's eleven," I reminded her. "Or at least in the-"

I was then cutoff. Before I could finish what I was saying... I farted. It was just a small fart, but it was definitely loud enough for the class to hear.

"Eww!" one of the students, an Eevee, giggled. "That's gross!"

"Yeah, like I said, a bathroom break would be cool," I told the Clefable.

"NO!" she shouted again. "Now pay attention! I will not have you wasting any more time in my class!"

Boy, was she going to be sorry.

[Noblejanobii]

Azlan and Madder Hatter- Azelf Gijinka and Human
The Ruins of Slateport City
Affected RP'ers: N/A

Madder snickered as he saw Azlan form the Kusanagi in his hands again. The stupid hybrid thought a silly sword could stop his need to cut them. He wanted to taste their blood. He wanted them to scream. Azlan's eyes flicked back to the two Bellossom behind him. Ah, he was trying to protect them, it seemed. His weakness. Good to know. As Azlan stood up, he raised his sword in a defensive position. Madder immediately reacted, his knife aimed in an attack. Azlan blocked Madder's first few hits, predicting each move Madder was making. This was frustrating to Madder. He could not let this hybrid out class him. Madder ducked under his next strike and tossed out another blade. Azlan, however, noticed, and froze the blade with his psychic abilities. He paused, as if sensing something about Madder.

Azlan pushed Madder back and nodded to himself. This man was not as he seemed. There were two people inside one body, it felt like. Each time their blades touched, Azlan could sense a second presence within Madder. Was it possible to bring this man to the surface? Azlan could try, but it would not be easy. He would have to get a clear shot at Madder's forehead. Thankfully, Madder seemed very intent on performing close combat.

Azlan lept back as Madder ran forward. He parried Madder's attacks one after the other, watching for a pattern. It took several turns, but Azlan eventually caught a slight repetition within Madder's movements. With that in mind, Azlan struck. He knocked away Madder's knife, causing a second of distraction for Madder. Azlan shot forward, pressing his thumb to Madder's forehead. Madder froze, Azlan's psychic energy forcing him still. Azlan's eyes began to glow as he reached into Madder and grabbed hold of the other aura. Azlan pulled hard, and the presence seemed to awaken. It began to fight against Madder, quickly gaining the upper hand. Azlan released his psychic energy and Madder collapsed on the ground. He breathed hard and pressed a hand to his face. Azlan stood a few steps back, still prepared for another attack.

"Am I back? Am I really back?" The man lifted his head. He looked around and locked eyes with Azlan. Overall, the man looked exactly the same as Madder, except his eyes seemed tamer. "Did I manage to take over from Madder?"

"It seems so," Azlan replied.

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Stunky
Outside of Rustboro City, Hoenn

I wasn't sure if it was the Clefable being a complete idiot or if this was just a symptom of the Trick Master's "Trickonia" world, which was infamous for every possible flavor of stupidity. The Clefable's teaching was a complete train-wreck. Nothing was the way it should be. The rules of basic math had been completely pissed all over according to this fat fairy's lectures. Numbers completely out of sequence, new made-up numbers rammed in the middle of nowhere, with 3's being called 8's and 5's being called 9's, it was nothing short of a total brain-drain on anyone watching it.

All the while, I kept trying to hold in the farts. They kept getting worse and worse with louder and louder stomach groans when after a while, I just said to hell with it and just let it rip.

FFFRRRTTTTT!!

The lesson was totally derailed and suddenly everyone looked at me as a giant stink cloud formed behind me. I actually found it be quite impressive.

"How disgusting!" a Mudkip student exclaimed.

"Wow, what a stench!" another Piplup student cried out, trying to waft the gas away with her wing. "What's wrong with you!?"

And then came along the storming and over-stuffed obese monster fairy...

"YOU AGAIN!?" the Clefable shouted. "YOU'RE REPULSIVE!!!"

"Bite me," I smirked at her. "What are you gonna do, send me to some stupid principal's office? Please, do your worst. I'll just gas him too!"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" she shouted as she stormed her way toward me.

"Wait, hold on, I think I have a little more," I told her, turning my rear toward her.

Insert one stupid Clefable and one generous blasting of stinky Stunky skunk juice, followed by another deluge of stink gas. I was cracking up. She was blasted from head to toe with the crap and I figured a blasting like that would probably stick with her for the rest of the month. Class dismissed.

I realized all of this might as well be a dream. So, I figured to hell with feeling miserable about it. Nah, if the Trick Master wanted to play these stupid games, I was going to cheat at all of them.

"NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I-"

At that moment, I found a way to manipulate the nature of this "Trickonia." Concentration, desire for control, and acceptance that I had it. As if it was all real, but not really. With it, I managed to just smile, relax, and utterly blast that Clefable to kingdom-come with more skunk juice and gas than a Stunky could have ever been able to possibly hold in. And it felt good.

The classroom was plunged into a smelly, toxic apocalypse and I was loving it. The damage and the mayhem was beyond excessive, but it was satisfying and proudly proclaimed my complete rejection of this place. Barely anyone could even see in that pea-soup shrouding cloud of skunk gas, and it was becoming just unbearable for anyone to even breathe.

I wasn't surprised when the Trick Master suddenly pulled the plug on it. While I was gaining a handle on controlling the nature of this place, he saw this hadn't gone according to his plan. As a result, he simply had me explode. I figured he probably wanted it to look like I had farted myself to death. Which was fine, but before he got the chance to reincarnate me as something horrible, I acted fast and tried to take over before he could do it.


Jonathan Bradshaw - Leafeon
Lilycove City, Hoenn

The Trick Master had been successful in dictating where I'd be reincarnated. But he totally FAILED at dictating what.

I had become a Leafeon, the evolution of the first Pokémon I ever had. It was the quickest thing I could think of that wasn't Bellossom. And my plan actually worked! I had managed to become a Pokémon I hadn't ever been before in these stupid dream worlds, even though I was sure the Trick Master had something much more vile in mind.

Of course, the Trick Master had me die in yet another grotesque kind of way yet again. I could tell his little "simulation" was supposed to go with me getting in trouble as a Stunky student and feeling embarrassed and ashamed in front of all those Pokémon classmates that I knew nothing about and didn't care about either!

He tried a last-ditch effort to try and change me into something else, but it didn't work. I had stronger control over simply reinforcing the idea that I wanted to be a Leafeon and stay that way, rather than let him dictate what that was going to be. I could even get a sense of what he was trying to do. He wanted me to get thrown into Lilycove City as a hideous Muk and Garbodor hybrid mutant. Yeah, no thanks on that one. Instead, I was simply a normal Leafeon, smiling and enjoying his failed attempts.

"No, no, I prefer this instead," I spoke, even though it looked like no one was there. "Up yours, I not becoming that."

"Merely a fluke. Don't think you'll win by gloating over it!"

He tried, but I resisted his power. Being a Leafeon was different, but I was actually taking a liking to it. Bit by bit, I was finding out tricks and cheats in this Trickonia garbage, and even though this didn't look like much right now, it was a pretty significant step.

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson and Dylan Thomas- Nidorina and Nidorino
Hoenn Safari Zone
Affected RPers: Shenili

Dylan stood up onto all fours. He looked over at Sloane and frowned. Figures he's stuck on all fours but she can stand up on her hind legs. Oh well. It is what it is. At least they weren't anything too grotesque and they were finally back together after a month and a half. It was nice. Sloane looked around the surrounding area, her head swiveling back and forth with her eyes taking in everything. Dylan walked over and sat down next to her, causing Sloane to turn her attention to him.

"Can you see just fine?" Dylan asked quietly. Sloane nodded in return. Her eyesight was fine, which was surprising. Everything about this was, truthfully. She was on the Trick Master's hit list after all, and so was Dylan. Why were they not in worse situations? Sloane decided it wasn't worth dwelling on. Right now, they needed to move. If they stayed here too long, the Trick Master might get a hold of them and put them in a worse situation.

"Let's move. If we get into a clearer area we might be able to pinpoint where we are. Maybe." Dylan stood back up. That sounded like a viable plan. The two began to walk silently through the safari zone. For the most part it was quiet, except for the occasional blowing of the wind. It made Sloane anxious. Her mind was strangely clear for now, but she kept her guard up. The Trick Master's influence could try to take over again at any minute. Sloane looked at her boyfriend from the corner of her eye.

"Dylan, I have to tell you something," she said. Dylan paused in his steps and turned his full attention to Sloane. Sloane took a deep breath then said, "Do you remember how there was an oasis area in the old trick house?" Dylan nodded. It was the one with those fog fountains that returned you back to normal. "Well, ever since I left the Trick House I've been feeling... odd. I quickly realized why. I was pushed through one of those fountains and everyone I've encountered since I exited the Trick House that was in the oasis was under the Trick Master's control. I think it's the fountains, Dylan, and I think I'll become one of them next. I'm fighting it off right now but... I don't know how long I can hold it off for. Who knows, maybe I'm free because I just died but... who knows." Dylan remained silent for a moment before replying with,

"So? I'm still going to stay by your side no matter what. You're not getting rid of me that easy." Dylan smiled, earning tears from Sloane. Sloane hugged Dylan tightly and whispered her thanks. After a few moments, the two separated and continued until they exited the Safari Zone. They immediately got their bearings thanks to Mt. Pyre and decided since Lilycove was closer, it was a much better bet than trying to head to Fortree, and thus their journey began.

Azlan, Fox Oleander, and Brent Hughes- Azelf Gijinka, Ghost mermaid, and Human
The Ruins of Slateport City
Affected RP'ers: N/A

"So that's the current situation," Azlan said softly. "I am going to try and venture to Sinnoh. It won't be easy, but I must find out if my brother, Uriel, is all right, and I also wish to locate my sister, Mariah. You two are free to join me, but do not feel obligated to do so. It won't be an easy journey." Azlan looked over Fox and Brent. The two seemed to be considering his proposition. Brent eventually shrugged.

"Sure, I'll come with you. It'll help keep the other guy in check so he doesn't go on another murder spree." Brent paused for a second before shouting, "Well I'm sorry I don't think killing people sounds like a fun time!" Fox and Azlan exchanged a brief look before Fox spoke up.

"Yeah I think I will come too. You could probably use all the help you can get. We don't know how strong these false legendaries are so it is very well possible that we could face something out of your league." Azlan nodded, not insulted, having already been well aware of this fact. It was unavoidable really.

"So that settles it. Let us be going then."

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Leafeon
Lilycove City, Hoenn

After getting my bearings, I tried to figure out where I was, but it was difficult considering nothing was the same. Wherever I was, the whole city looked like it was taken right out of a kid's pop-up book. It looked so ridiculously cutesy and annoying with everything being colorful, cardboardish, and sappy. I swore, this guy was seriously out of control.

Walking around as a Leafeon was not easy. I hadn't walked on four legs before, and by now, I had spent so darn long as a Bellossom that I wasn't used to this kind of mobility. Still, I had to give myself credit for finding a way to cheat the rules here. I needed to keep learning new tricks on how to do that, because if I-

*WHAM!*

I just barely leapt out of the way before a giant, hulking spear had slammed into the ground right where I had been standing. I looked up and there was a giant, hulking battle robot armed with all kinds of stabbing weapons.

"TARGET IDENTIFIED: ELIMINATION PROTOCOL INITIATED"

"Go on, just try to deal with it!"

To hell with this, I couldn't fight this thing! It must have been at least fifty feet tall!

"Leave me the hell alone, you bastard!" I shouted back to the Trick Master.

But he just laughed, and his insane robot started shooting all kinds of knives, spears, and stabbing weapons like a hailstorm. I tried to dodge, but it was a laughable attempt when it came to trying to run away. I just wasn't used to fighting as a Leafeon and the Trick Master knew it.

I winced in pain as two knives and an arrow-like spear plunged right into my back. There had to be some kind of trick to overcome this. Some stupid gimmick or something like that. Maybe I just wasn't thinking big enough because I was too damn used to how reality should have been working.

I tried to use Synthesis to heal some of the damage, but it was merely putting a band-aid on a severe wound that needed something much better, right now. It unleashed another flurry of knives, and bam, I was rained on and must have had a dozen of those damn things shot into me.

Instantly, the pain was crippling and exhausting. I knew I was going to die, but yet again, it would result in reincarnation. If I didn't come up with something fast, the Trick Master was going to come up with something horrible with my lack of being able to come up with a choice.

I just shut my eyes.

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson and Dylan Thomas- Nidorina and Nidorino
Hoenn Safari Zone
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Sloane giggled, Dylan having just told her a really funny joke. It was great to have him back. How long had they been apart? Sloane wasn't sure. It felt like an eternity. She was glad to have him back.

"So what is the plan?" Dylan asked Sloane. The nidorina shook her head and shrugged. They were almost to Lilycove but what would they do from there? They needed to aid in stopping the Trickmaster but how?

"We'll just have to come up with our plan as we go along." Dylan did not seem to like that idea but given his expression, he didn't have much of a better one. The two travelled in silence until there was a volley of loud crashes in the distance. Sloane and Dylan exchanged a confused look before dashing towards the sounds. When they arrived, they saw a giant robot attacking a Leafeon.

"Hey!" Dylan shouted, "pick on someone who can defend themselves!" He sprayed a volley of poison stings at the robot, not adept enough at walking on all fours to try anything but long range attacks. Sloane charged forward and leapt into the air, aiming a double kick at the robot.

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Leafeon
Lilycove City, Hoenn

I was on the verge of death, and I didn't even lay a scratch on this stupid damn thing. But then, out of the blue...

"Hey!" a Nidorino shouted, "pick on someone who can defend themselves!"

He launched a spray of poison needles at the battle machine, which didn't do very much, but the attack distracted the machine from noticing the Nidorina striking it with a double kick, which ripped off the left arm of the robot.

Damn, I was impressed. I was about to die all over again, but I had to say that...

...and then I remembered that voice. Dylan! Hot damn, he found his way here!? Man, the amount of pure hell we had been through together was horrific, but it was good to see he was at least hanging onto his sanity despite everything else that was going on. And I had a feeling that Nidorina was probably Sloane...

"Guess I'm just have to kill you all and reincarnate all of you into something miserable!"

"Why... you...!" I gasped.

This was just stupid. I gritted my teeth, winced, and refused to just accept this. No, why should I have to die to reincarnate into something? And who said I had to give the Trick Master that ability?

"That's right, I'll just kill you again! And again! Over and over, as many times as I like! That's what you get for defying the new god!"

Boy, I was sure Arceus was going to get a kick out of hearing this tool keep saying that to him. I tried to break the chains of this new reality. Leafeon by all means wasn't a bad Pokémon, but I couldn't fight as one. I had to try something I was more used to. Let's go with human for now.

"Let me know how it feels to watch your partner die, Sloane. I could use some amusing adjectives. But if you can't speak, tears and wailing will suffice."

He then had the robot aim some kind of bladed weapon that just shot right at me and ended it all. I saw nothing but black right after that.


Jonathan Bradshaw - Human
Lilycove City, Hoenn

I figured it out. In just a second, I had reformed into my previous human self, and I managed to even control where it happened. I couldn't help but smile. The Trick Master was losing his edge.

Problem was, I was in my normal clothes, no weapons. I got up to try walking, and I stumbled and landed right on my face. What the hell, I wasn't used to being human anymore?

I saw the hulking robot then turn on Sloane and Dylan attacking them with a flurry of bladed knives and . I decided to hell with it. Why should this douchebag be in control? I gritted my teeth, and used my will to do exactly what I wanted. And it happened. Almost like magic, the rocket launcher I willed into this new reality materialized before me. I then grabbed it, aimed it at the robot, and squeezed the trigger.

The rocket fired as normal, speeding toward the target. You know what? Screw it. I wanted it to be stronger. Faster. Something the Trick Master wasn't ready for. So I willed it to be stronger and faster.

*SLAM!*

In just seconds, the hulking robot exploded with a force that was beyond any kind of reality. Flaming, metallic chunks and debris were thrown in all directions, and boy was it satisfying.

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson and Dylan Thomas- Nidorina=>Zoroark and Nidorino
Hoenn Safari Zone
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

Sloane screamed as the Trick Master attacked Jonathan. This guy made her so mad! What on earth made him think he could just keep stripping Jonathan away at the last second when they were just getting reunited! How did he think he could do that to anybody? What made him think he was the god of this world? Just the thought of anyone thinking that made Sloane blistering mad. Especially since she could not protect anyone in this form! She was always too weak! She couldn't face the Trick Master as a little old Nidorina. She needed something stronger, something much more powerful.

Then Sloane got an idea. She watched Jonathan reform into his human appearance and destroy the robot with just a thought. This was a test of sheer willpower it appeared. Azlan would be pleased to know his domain was the key to escaping this place. Sloane closed her eyes and began to imagine something. She needed to be something fast and strong. What pokemon would best fit her fighting style? As soon as the idea popped into her head, Sloane felt herself beginning to change shape. She grew taller and slimmer. It felt like she had long hair again but that wasn't quite it. When she felt the change stop, Sloane smiled and looked down at her black paws with red claws. Dylan stared at her in confusion.

"How'd you do that?" he asked as Sloane walked over to Jonathan.

"I'm glad you're okay, but I don't think we'll be safe for long. I have no doubt that Azlan is working to locate Arceus and the other legendaries. Should we attempt to locate them as well? Or continue to act as a distraction?"

"W-Wait!" Dylan stumbled over to Sloane's side. "I'm confused! How did you two just do that? I want to be on two legs again!"

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Human
Lilycove City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

We had cracked the secret behind it all. And it was no wonder why the Trick Master had been trying to eliminate Azlan this entire time. I didn't recognize it before, but Azlan was the Trick Master's number one prime enemy in this whole madhouse.

The whole entire place was a battleground of willpower. It was the real, driving force and foundation of how everything was created in this cesspool. It was weird to think about it, but in here, Azlan, otherwise known as Azelf, was now more powerful than even Arceus with what he could potentially do, but as long as the Trick Master kept him suppressed, only the Trick Master would hold the power and everyone else would be at his mercy.

What a bastard.

There was one issue. We had the keys on how to kill this world that the Trick Master had created, but we were going to have to use the same force to rebuild it. In a way, we could help Azlan rebuild once we had mastered the truth on how to harness the force of willpower, but he was going to have to give Arceus full reign once all was said and done.

"I'm glad you're okay, but I don't think we'll be safe for long," Sloane told me, now as a Zoroark. "I have no doubt that Azlan is working to locate Arceus and the other legendaries. Should we attempt to locate them as well? Or continue to act as a distraction?"

"W-Wait!" Dylan stumbled over next to Sloane, unable to get used to his Nidorino form. "I'm confused! How did you two just do that? I want to be on two legs again!"

"We definitely need to find Azlan and keep him protected at all costs," I told her, suddenly realizing how important he was to this whole mission. "This place... the way the Trick Master set it up points toward everything being based on willpower. And it makes sense. It's the reason why the legendary Pokémon of willpower has been under fire like this the entire time. The Trick Master has kept this secret mission of his quiet, but now that we know, we have to tell as many people and Pokémon here about this."

But then I figured it might even stretch further than just Azlan.

"Sloane, where is Azlan now?" I asked her.

[Noblejanobii]

Sloane Jackson and Dylan Thomas- Zoroark and Nidorino=>Charizard
Hoenn Safari Zone
Affected RPers: Neo Emolga

As Jonathan explained everything, it clicked into place. Had Arceus known about this? Had that been why Azlan had been sent into the Trick House? Because he would be able to fix it if he wanted? But then, how did Azlan not know about this? It was possible Azlan had not figured it out yet. That seemed like a likely answer.

"Last we saw him, he was in Slateport," Dylan replied, "but I think he was planning to move on. I am not really sure since I pretty much died as soon as I got there." Dylan paused and thought it over before focusing on a single image. His body began to glow and grow. Wings expanded from his back and a long tail swirled around him, flames bursting from the tip. When the light dissipated, the Nidorino that once stood before them was no more, replaced with a Charizard much larger than a regular Charizard. He was at least seven feet tall with a body mass to match that. "Hop on, I can fly us there."

"You know how to fly?" Sloane asked. Dylan nodded, a spark flickering in his eye. Sloane snorted and rolled her eyes. Figures he knew how to fly. He had probably been forced to in his time in the Trick House. Sloane looked at Jonathan. "If we leave now we might be able to reach Slateport soon, but we'll have to fly over Mt. Pyre if we want to get there quickly, which means we're crossing some open ocean and land. It's very possible we could be shot down."

Azlan, Brent Hughes, and Fox Oleander- Azelf Gijinka, Human, and Ghost Mermaid
The coast of Slateport
Affected RPers: N/A

"How do you propose we cross?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Azlan replied with a sigh. He had been hoping the water would have remained the same. But it hadn't. It was so much worse. The water had been replaced with sleeping Clefairys. He could tell Gravity was in play, meaning they could not simply fly over. They would have to cross without waking a single Clefairy. If they did, metronome could be triggered, and in this disastrous place, Azlan had no doubt that meant 100 percent chance of Explosion. He let out a shaky sigh and looked at the others. "Maybe we could create a platform across?"

[Neo Emolga]

Jonathan Bradshaw - Human
Lilycove City, Hoenn
Affected RPers: Noblejanobii

Dylan told me Azlan had been last seen in Slateport, but beyond that, we weren't sure. Considering what had happened there, he could be anywhere now.

Watching him transform from Nidorino into a giant Charizard was, to say the least, was impressive, but once again, I needed to remind myself to accept something like that as perfectly normal, everyday happenings. I took the invitation to take a ride on his back, though Sloane had warned me there was a substantial risk we'd be shot down in our attempt.

"We've got to take it," I told her. "I'm not afraid of that bastard's fabricated minions. If we need to stop and fight, we'll do it."

But, once again, I practically had to crawl to get onto Dylan's back. Something about walking was just not clicking anymore, as it I had forgotten how to use human legs. The more I struggled with it, the more I wondering if it was something beyond me.

I had rolled up the leggings of my pants and suddenly it was clear. I had recreated my own legs wrong. The knees were twisted and trying to put them back into place was only met with excruciating pain. It was as if they were physical deformities right from the start. I sighed with frustration, suddenly realizing I was getting a handle on using willpower to govern the laws of this place, but I wasn't an expert on it. I was going to need more practice, but now wasn't the time to start any kind of training session.

That and I realized being a Bellossom for so long might have had something to do with it also. Spend too much time in a form that doesn't even have legs and you easily forget what the purpose of them was in the first place. It was a great way to conceal myself for all that time, but I might have already done irreversible damage by living like one and accepting it for too long.

After getting on Dylan's back, I held on tight. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to use any kind of conjured weapons, but I was going to need to see what, if anything at all, had decided to attack us over Mt Pyre.

"Let's go," I told Dylan. "If anything comes after us, I'll let you know."