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

[Noblejanobii]

Hm... more need for my lockpicking skills? I'm on a roll today. Let's see what I can discover here.

Madder has decided to lockpick {Underground Cellar Door: Black Rose Emblem / <Lockpick>} at (38) Altamar Motel (Abandoned).

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

I'll repair the =Divine Codex Pages First Half: <Repair>!

[Neo Emolga]

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

Protect 124. Kure the Doublade.

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

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

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

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

Velo the Togekiss (M: Fairy/Flying)

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

[Neo Emolga]

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

Search: (82) Dhalshaw Laboratories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pixel the Porygon-Z (M: Normal)

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

[Spiderc]

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

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

[Suicune's Fire]

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

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

Once more you look upon the Runner Chemical Plant as you float before it, knowing half of its interior has been already scoured by you the previous night. This time, you're heading for floors 8 through to 15, so you get to work and make your way up to the eighth floor. This half of the building is essentially the same as the first half; old, mostly destroyed, threatening to collapse, and absolutely disgusting to levitate through. You feel relieved that you don't need to apply your weight to the flooring, because this high up you feel like it would collapse.

You search every room, even ones that are blocked off, by phasing through the walls. It's a much quicker route to take when searching a large plant such as this one, and before you know it, you're already at floor 13. You hover through, still using your lit flame to light the way, and eventually come into what looks like a leisure room. You can see that the floor is lined with chemicals, so you carefully float above them, taking extra care not to float too close. When you reach the other side of the spilled chemicals toward the back of the room, you see a book lying on the floor. It is old, brown, and has a simple drawing of a Cutiefly on the front, with the title, Tales of Jacob the Cutiefly. Curious, you use your arms to flick the front cover over and you see scribbling on the inside.

To my dearest Min,
I know that you will grow up to make me proud.
My dearest boy, your father will always be watching.
Remember me every time you read this.
Undying love, your father.

Although you're unsure if this is just an innocent letter from what sounds like a dying father to his son, or if it's connected to the administraton door you found down on a lower floor, you scoop the book up and decide to take it with you.

Item [Tales of Jacob the Cutiefly] was added to the Team Inventory.

The rest of the building's interior is empty, so you leave with this single piece of potential evidence.


Kames the Lampent (S: Ghost/Fire)

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

[Neo Emolga]

Hey Sam, you look like you could use some fixing up.

Use First Aid on Sam the Deerling

You employ your medical skills for Sam the Deerling. Her injuries are severe, but you feel confident enough to take care of them. Using your knowledge of how best to apply medical ointment and bandages, you address Sam's wounds by cleaning them, disinfecting them, and applying the necessary bandaging.

Sam the Deerling (S: Normal/Grass)

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

When you're all done, Sam definitely looks ready to get back in there.

Fir the Luxray (M: Electric)

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

[Suicune's Fire]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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


Amia the Roserade (M: Grass/Poison)

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

[Suicune's Fire]

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

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

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

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

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

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


Ciel the Mega Altaria (M: Dragon/Fairy)

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

[Suicune's Fire]

BREAKING NEWS

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

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

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

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

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