Pokémon: Neo Genesis

[Random_Fan]

OOC: eh, school an' band really shortenin' me visits 'ere. ;_;

IC:

Johnny had been waiting for an introduction. Unfortunately, the intro he was given was not the one he would normally have taken. Him, too good for anything on the boat? He had people give him that type of attitude before, but that was during the school days. Other times, he wouldn't be given this attitude. That was something Johnny had noticed about himself; whenever he was in uniform, he was that person people would mock. It was a good thing he did not always wear a uniform, but he wished that he was wearing something a little looser now.

He put the camera down on his lap. It was still on pause. Just as he was about to try a lame excuse of a cold comeback to this…whoever he was, he was interrupted by the samurai girl having a little outburst in front of everyone. When she was done, Johnny could only stare a bit shocked at what had just happened. He hid it very quickly, shaking his head. Though, instead of trying to answer this other guy in the way he was originally planning to, he simply said, "Fine; what do you want to know? The only reason I'm here is to make a film, which is probably something less interesting than the reasons why any of you all are here. I have to agree; we do seem to be different in every way."

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Awwright, so sorry for the delay in posting but I came down with a particularly vicious cold the other day and it's still going strong, so please excuse me if this post is a bit below my usual standard. ~_~

IC:

Alex was caught off guard by Plum's sudden outburst, experiencing a familiar crossfire of impulses as the teen samurai leapt up from her seat half-stood on the table, pointing a finger straight at him as she yelled out a seconding of the statement. Alex's stock had certainly gone up, so to speak, but considering the girl's mental state, part of him questioned if that really was such a good thing. Outwardly, he managed to stay composed, though, and he was fortunately soon relieved from the awkward situation when another lurch of the ship effectively curbed Plum's enthusiasm, the girl staggering back into her seat as she finished her rant.

Soon after, camera-boy spoke up in what Alex considered a rather grumpy manner, "Your name for starters." he replied poignantly. 'Yeah, we had better be different in every way...' he fumed in his mind; an island in crisis and all this boy cared about was some stupid documentary that no-one except his mum would ever watch? The redhead had half a mind to throw that selfish posh-school student overboard, if only to see if he would care about it beyond the safety of his camera. Just then, however, the ship suddenly lurched once more before grinding to a sudden halt which nearly caused Alex to loose his balance.

"Attention, stowaways." announced the familiar, bored voice of Jade, "We have now arrived at Traverse Island. Kindly refrain from breaking any more of the interior and get the hell off my ship."

Alex scoffed at their host's continued attitude, "Fine by me." he remarked, nonchalantly strutting out onto the deck. Much to his surprise, he wasn't greeted by the sight of Traverse Harbor. In fact, he didn't see much at all. They seemed to have entered an underground cove of some sort, the only lighting of which was a faint a fluorescent shimmer that seemed to be emanating from the walls, twinkling eerily over the otherwise nearly black surface of water in the cove as it reflected around the room, giving its warm, sandy brown walls a slightly otherworldly sheen. In the distance, a glimpse of the sea's raging waves could just be spotted through what Alex presumed to be the entry hole. The ship's prow had already been firmly secured to a sturdy Stalagmite by a length of thick rope while Jade was currently busying himself with doing the same favor for the stern.

"The secret caverns, huh?" the redhead remarked, jumping off the deck and onto solid land again while he inspected the place. The shimmer revealed little of what was beyond the little cove they were in, but judging by the way his voice trailed off, there was a long tunnel trailing off into the darkness just ahead, "I heard they existed, but I thought they had all been sealed up or collapsed."

"As seems to be more of a rule than an exception, Maxwell, you are incorrect." Jade remarked bluntly, "But like I said: we have no time for discussing the obvious." he flicked a worn pokéball in Tiamat's direction, recalling the Gyarados before fixing the group with one of his trademark glares, "The lot of you, line up, keep quiet, and walk in my step. For security reasons we can't use outside light sources and there are pitfalls. Also, as our redheaded friend here should be aware of - though I have full faith in his ability to be ignorant on this matter - these caverns are a home to several species sensitive to light and noise; so whatever you do, don't upset them. This means no inane chatter, no running about, no flashlights or anything of the sort, and above all..." his eye fixed at Alex, Juanita, and Plum in turn "No more spontaneous outbursts. Do I make myself clear?" the black-clad trainer paused for a brief moment, "If I did then none of you should even be thinking of saying anything in reply." he remarked, turning his back to the group and wandering calmly towards the darkness at the end of the comforting shimmer, "Now let's get moving while the storm is still providing us with cover."

 

[luke]

OOC: I'm a horrible, lazy person. Bad, bad, bad Porygon. I blame my corrupted data. O.o No actually, I blame my internet connection here on campus. And my laziness. A combination of the two. Sorry for the sheer idiocy of the post, but AE's prodding made me feel so very guilty. x.x;;; ACC has only posted in his own RP once, so he must be extremely busy. Grargh.

IC:

Juanita, sadly, was incredibly tired when she arrived in Slateport. This led to her being cankerous towards others. It reached the point where she argued with a vendor over the price of a wiener. Sure, seeing a half-naked boy jolted her slightly and then meeting one of the greatest piano players of her generation was amazing, Juanita was still tired when she got on the ship. She blamed the rather long trip from Kanto to Hoenn.

Juanita had managed to find what most could consider the most secluded corner on the ship and fallen asleep. Amongst all the fighting, yelling, Gyarados appearing, and fragrant violence, Juanita drifted away from everyone else, entering her dreams of the work place and her family. So, when she finally awoke upon arriving Traverse Island, she felt slightly disconnected from the rest of the group. Though the majority of their interactions had been negative and involved a lot of fighting, they at least had a slight connection to one another. Juanita sighed. It was always the same. No matter what the situation, Juanita was the outsider. Whether it was her superior grades, indignant personality, or sleeping while everyone else was arguing, she was alone.

Juanita inhaled and took a triumphant sigh. She was here for her work. Suddenly, the man known as Jade fixed his eyes on her and told her no outbursts. WHAT! She had been sleeping for almost the entire duration of the trip. How dare he?!?! Her only outburst was at the beginning. Rude bastard. No matter. He was taking her onto the island and that's all that mattered. Juanita listened to his instructions carefully and played them over in her head. One thing Juanita was good at was taking orders. If it was her mother or her boss, she knew when to listen. So she, being the little Mary-Sue that she was, stood so the line could form behind her. She smiled at Jade, who more than likely wouldn't return, but it was her duty as a government liaison to be a courteous as possible.

OOC: Sorry for the shortness. I kind of don't know what was going on, despite reading all the posts I missed, but I think I got a general idea. I'm just interjecting so I don't feel excluded. And to avoid being poked by AE again. xO.Ox

 

[chomp]

OOC: Darn my laziness. I'm very sorry about the utter lack of posting and such, and I may not be the most active RPer ever due to a 2000 word essay on "a book of my choice" (A Scanner Darkly) which will make up a fair chunk of my Standard Grade English Grade.

IC:

The water was calm, and oddly clear. Joe couldn't see any horizon in any direction, but as he tread through the cool sea, he just didn't care. It was so relaxing he let out a little sigh and leaned back, floating with his natural buoyancy. He could stay like this forever. An ominous creak shattered the quiet, and Johan almost leapt back into an upright position. He looked all around the water; nothing. He was on his own. A smaller noise, this time clearly coming from beneath him. With a little reluctance, he looked down, to study the water he was in. What he saw made his heart leap into his throat. Johan was swimming directly above a huge gaping shipwreck. How had he not noticed before? Only a few yards from him; one of the derelicts funnels almost pierced the serene surface of the water. Johan panicked; trying his hardest to swim away, but no matter how hard he tried, he didn't seem to go anywhere. The water became like syrup, and soon simply staying afloat was exhausting. Breathing heavily, he felt his body begin to sink. Johan tried to tread water, he tried to stay up, but it was no use. With one last gulping breath his head went under. He was still sinking, his eyes now fixed away from the ship which joined him under the water. He wasn't going to look at it; he hated shipwrecks. He wouldn't look down either; there was no telling how deep the water was. Oh Arceus; what if he landed on the wreck? Terrified by the thought, Johan exhaled accidentally. He watched with desperation as his last breath glided to the surface in a series of bubbles. Johan knew that he was going to die. As he felt his consciousness begin to slip, he lolled his head, looking below him. Just as he did so, his bare foot landed on the deck of the rusty ship. Adrenaline shot through him and he sat bolt upright in the cabin of Jade's little boat. It had stopped moving, and people were exiting the meagre interior. Johan stretched as he reached for his bag and stood up. His heart was still pumping, but he had to try and behave like he hadn't just experienced this, his recurring nightmare, for the countless time. He ducked as he exited the cabin, and was greeted with a distinct lack of light. Something told him he was not in Traverse Port, and something else told him this was a cave.

"J… just how far underground are we?" Johan laughed nervously. He didn't particularly like caves, or anything which lived in them. There was something about being so far beneath the ground, so far from the suns light. It wasn't natural. The boat was still; no longer being hauled along by the Gyarados, but Johan couldn't see the water. That to him was terrifying: he didn't like water too much to begin with, but in the dark when you can't tell the depth and it is as still as death… not his thing. The ever arrogant Jade began to talk about how they should watch out for little things like holes in the ground and vicious cave Pokemon. Johan was very aware that he was shaking a little. He smiled to the other people on the deck; reaching up and brushing the sweat off his forehead with one hand as the other flexed uselessly.

A woman he hadn't talked to before decided to make the first move of the group, positioning herself so that a line could build up behind her. Johan shuffled behind her, treading very carefully to avoid tripping on anything. The absolute last thing he wanted was to fall into the water. He was still aware of his heart pounding away in his chest, but tried his hardest to appear normal.

 

[Random_Fan]

The green light shone brightly; it was time to continue with the documentary. Johnny said nothing as he made his way up to the top deck. The second he had, he started with a small introduction.

"We have arrived at what appears to be the Traverse…wait, this is just a cave. Hmm. Well, we have arrived at a cave somewhere on Traverse Island. This is our first step into researching deeper into what could have come from the island on that one day it just decided to be inactive. As we see, our passenger members are looking quite shaken too. That could possibly be the fact that we are about to disembark a boat that was steered by a great big Gyrados."

He could have gone on and on, but he was shut off by Jade. He filmed him as he gave instructions on where they were and what they were doing. Then he went on to point out a few others. Even though he was not pointed out, Johnny could feel Jade's eyes on him, and for fear of just that, he turned off the camera and put it away.

There was still more he could film as they neared closer to more familiar parts on Traverse Island. For now, he would just follow along.

 

[Kogenta]

While Plum's outburst had been as unsurprising as her disregard for modesty, Stray found Alex's reasons for returning to Traverse Island rather interesting. So . . . he wants to help his family and protect his home. Hm. I suppose I should have guessed it, Traverse Island being his place of origin and such. Stray himself could hardly identify with Alex's sentiment, but Plum seemed to agree eagerly enough--well, initially anyway. At the moment, Stray found his reasons for accepting the mysterious invitation closest to Melissa's, which was very much not a point of pride for him. Before long, conflict began to rise between Johnny and Alex, which irritated the traveler a little and piqued his inner sarcasm. And here I thought we'd go a record ten seconds without an argument.

A sudden and particularly violent toss of the ship interrupted the boy's thoughts, causing him to automatically brace himself against the seat and wall. Moments later, Jade's voice--complete with its usual insulting tone of disregard--announced the boat's arrival at its destination. Despite the situation, Stray could not prevent himself from feeling a little amusement at Jade's constant referral to the small vessel as a ship. A brief smirk flickered across his features as he swung his backpack onto his shoulders and made his way to the deck. As he gazed quietly at his new surroundings, the traveler's already-dialated pupils attempted to focus on whatever shapes it could amidst the dimness. Beside him, the camera kid was continuing the creation of his documentary while the blonde boy was nervously trying not to appear nervous. After an initial glance at each, Stray did not grant any extensive attention to either, choosing instead to listen to the exchange occurring on land. So, these are called the secret caverns. Quite the seminar we've been invited to. I suppose Mr. "L.A." was rather serious about the confidentiality he requested.

Seconds after Stray stepped onto the cave floor, a familiar noise combined with a brief flash of scarlet light told him that Jade had returned Tiamat to its Pokeball--a place that Stray generally preferred Pokemon to be. Though the directions Jade gave did not cause the wanderer to feel any more favorably inclined toward the man, he was smart enough to know that, unfortunately, listening to Jade would be best. Without a word, Stray stepped into line behind Johan. Generally he would have preferred to be at the back of the line; but in this situation, the more clearly he could see the guide the better.

 

[Scarlet Weather]

Mark slowly lifted the trap-door that led into the Wavedancer's hull. "Urgh... I feel sick..." he moaned. It was understandable. Travel by Gyarados-drawn charter boat is never a comfortable experience, much less so when in the hold of said boat. In addition, Mark had never felt quite comfortable on the open ocean, especially when said ocean was compared to the comforting ground of home. As he staggered to the edge of the boat, he realized that everyone, with the exception of himself, had jumped ship, and that man who said he was the captain, Jade, had just finished giving everyone a speech of some sort, and was wrapping it up with "Now let's get moving while the storm is still providing us with cover," or something along those lines. Mark's stomach swam as he slowly pulled himself to the edge of the boat and tentatively placed his foot on solid ground. Almost immediately, the nausea that had taken hold of him before was banished by mere contact with the solid ground. Indeed, he felt he could almost taste the strength the earth seemed to be pumping through him. A grin slowly broke Mark's features as he slipped forward, attempting to join the rest of the group. A nagging thought broke through Mark's brain. What did he know about the other passengers? Slowly, he began running what he had overheard on deck through his brain, gleaning the snatches of conversation he had memorized for something useful.

First, the "Plum" girl was the one who looked like something out of "Land of Legends", only slightly more volatile then the girl in the movie. Then there was the other kid, the one with the camera. He was almost sure he was the one called "Johnny", and that older kid with the red hair, Alex, had referred to him as a hobby documentarist. Mark was almost tempted to race up to him and ask what his thoughts on fossils were, but his good sense thankfully restricted him from doing it. The other girl, he hadn't heard her name, a concert pianist. Didn't seem all that interesting to him. Then there was the one guy, who gave Mark the impression of a worn piece of granite: rough around the edges, and tough as nails. He hadn't overheard his name either, and it was doubtful that such an up-tight guy might have dropped it anyway. It was probably best to leave him out of the equation until he confirmed that the dude wasn't in a gang or something like that. Finally, there was that last girl, whose face seemed to be perpetually screwed into an angry expression. Well, at least he knew she wasn't psycho, since madmen don't usually complain. Sorting through his information, he at last decided. If he wanted information about what this place was, or what was going on here, his best bet was to talk to Alex, the Traverse Island native. In the meantime, though, it was a bad idea to do that while Jade was listening. And so, tiptoeing on silent feet, Mark slipped behind the red-haired boy and fell into step with him, preparing himself. A nagging feeling of doubt, however, had started nibbling at him. This was a cave, true, and an interesting one, but it gave off a weird vibe, unlike anything he had felt at the mines in Oreburgh or the Underground. This place was definitely much freakier. For the first time in his life, Mark felt a bit afraid of entering a cave.

He went in anyway, of course. All he had to do was remind himself that rare fossils were often discovered in tunnels like these, and he was back on cloud nine.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Awright, the small point of character control here is done by the rights given in Phanima's signature. I'll be RPing Plum out of the way shortly after so that she'll be around if Phanima decides to rejoin us later on but not get in the way of the plot. :3

Oh, and should anyone experience a burning desire to look beyond the door before my next IC: they're currently in the basement of a posh mansion owned by an intellectual type, so there would be some kind of grand entry hall, a spiral staircase, the usual obligatory posh decor and some bookshelves here and there. I'll work in details as necessary.

Finally: L.A. is also in the no-touchy zone for obvious plot significance.

IC:

"Depends on what point we're under." Alex replied to Johan's shaky inquiry, maintaining his usual cool attitude as he strutted beside Jade while doing his best not to look like he was actively following orders, "Traverse is essentially a big old mountain jutting out of the sea, so depending on what we call the top we could be about three hundred meters bellow ground. Don't tell me that scares ya'." he added, nudging the other boy, "Kids half your age use these caverns for their tag games, for crying out loud. Though of course..." he conceded, casually placing both hands behind his head and leaning it against them, his crimson hair and golden earring the only parts of his appearance that remained more or less permanently in view as they wandered between the fluorescent light spots scattered about the cavern, "Seeing as how these caverns have been sealed off, some of the critters around here might be a bit bigger than a stray Zubat or Paras. That Jade dude is still being over-dramatic, though; it's not like a Gyarados is suddenly going to leap out of the sea and eat your or anything."

As soon as he had finished his statement, a deep rumbling became audible from somewhere within the tunnel ahead.

"Don't tell me..." Alex began in a sceptical voice.

"Try not to be stupid if you can possibly help it, Maxwell." Jade hissed from the front, "It's just a stray Onix. Now everybody place a hand on that wall on your right and stick by it unless you feel like making a closer acquaintance with that lovably scenic gorge on your left-hand side."

"Gorge?" Alex sneered back, although he had enough sense to keep his voice a bit lower than usual. Judging by the angle they had been walking at, the cavern they were in was heading upwards, "Probably just a small hole in the ground."

"Is that so?" Jade retorted coldly, "Then why don't you grab a pebble and try?"

"Maybe I will at that." Alex replied, snatching the first rock he could find and tossing it carelessly to his left. It would probably just go bump, anyway, any moment now...the fall surely couldn't take more than a few seconds. A minute, tops.

Okay, maybe two minutes...maybe just a little longer and-

"Maxwell, quit lagging back there." their guide scoffed from up ahead, "If that's not enough to convince you that we have a gorge on our left then feel free to do us all a favor by taking a step over there and seeing for yourself."

Fortunately, Alex didn't see fit to take up that challenge, and after what felt like hours of trudging around in the dark, although Alex obviously couldn't have checked his watch watch even if he had one, the redhead was starting to feel like something had changed. For starters, the sound of the storm had become audible again, though just barely; and for another, the ground was getting smoother and the feeling of ominous vastness that had surrounded him was slowly letting up. Soon after, Jade called an abrupt halt, but before Alex could make a snappy remark about how he had nearly walked into the person in front, he was suddenly blinded as Jade sprung open a door of some sort, bright, electric lighting piercing the darkness.

After a few moments of staggering forward without sight, and treading on the foot of an unknown victim in the process - Alex slowly began regaining his bearings again. He was in a room, not in a cavern this time but an honest to good room. Sure, it wasn't much to look at, being little more than a narrow corridor with a simple tubular lamp in the middle of the ceiling above which cast a warm, yellow glow on the walls on both sides, but after the small eternity spent in the caverns it was a relieving sight. Relieving, but also alerting. After all, this surely had to be the headquarters of this mysterious L.A. person. The redhead's muscles tensed, the adrenaline flowing through his body, this was it; time to shake down the bad guy, save the hometown and impress the ladies.

At this thought, his glance drifted to Plum, she had been staying in close proximity to Jade for reasons which - Alex jealously assumed - had very little to do with safety, and was currently bearing a look of one part lingering seasickness and two parts just plain boredom.

"Alright, this is the place, isn't it?" Alex demanded as Jade casually locked the door behind them and strode through the corridor, towards the last staircase at the other end, unlocking it in the same casual, lightly bored manner that he had locked the first. The black-clad man then pushed the door open, but just before stepping through he paused, turning his head to give Alex one, last annoyed glance.

"Don't you ever shut up?" he inquired jadedly, not even bothering to wait for a response as he disappeared through the doorway.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question!" Alex bellowed, charging after Jade, "If this is the place then where's L.A., huh?!"

"I believe I can answer that."

The redhead nearly tripped over in his attempt to stop as a new figure suddenly appeared in the doorway, mere inches away from him, the redhead staggering back a bit to regain his balance as he struggled to make out the man who now stood in quite striking silhouette within the doorway. He was about Alex's equal height-wise, though clearly far older, perfect evidence of which being the rather thin layer of wavy, pale blonde hair that reached down from his head to about chin level on the sides and nearly to his shoulders at the back, as well as the small, blonde stubble on his chin. His skin was fairly pale, instantly marking him as someone not native to the island in Alex's mind, and was also looking slightly worn, and to finish off the old man image there was the black cane, the top of which he was currently clasping with both hands. Despite his age, Alex had to admit, the man had a certain flair to him, a certain vigor in his very pose, and that gleam in his dark green eyes; a clear sign ambition, though whether it was the kind of ambition that came up with cure for cancer or the kind that strived for world domination was anyone's guess. His attire was not anything to call home about, however: a russet-colored suit jacket combined with a white dress shirt, a dark green tie, a pair of black slacks, and a pair of dark brown leather shoes, all of them with that slightly aged look to them.

"I am L.A." the man announced calmly, beaming at his guests, "Lucifer Ashton, now that we can speak in confidence." he performed a surprisingly agile little flourishing bow in their direction, "So glad you could all make it. I am sure that you are all quite curious as to why I invited you all here, but this is truly not a fitting location for such a dialog and you must all be exhausted from your trip here." his smile widened slightly, "I have taken the liberty of preparing a small meal to recover your strength. Follow me, please, and I promise that all shall be revealed in due time." with that, he turned on his heel, preparing to take charge of the group.

 

[Nigma]

OCC: Ok sorry poeple that i couldn´t write here for a long time. I was on a business trip with some poeple, but i promise i will write here much in the evening, k? Sry Alter... <_<;

Wee! Finally i could find the time to write a bit! Um, cause i dunno where i should get in, i´ll write it like this... hope it´s ok...

IC:

Finally the group had reached their goal, Traverse Island. Susan who had become very quiet the last hour had thought of much. Was it the right idea to come with these strange poeple? They all were kind of weird for her. Everyone seemed to be a special case, so she was. But even if it was like that, she couldn´t get rid of the feeling not to be needed. Awwright, a rock-nurse... Wow, what did i think as i entered this trip? she thought. Jaden and the others made their move to get off this swimming garbage, so she got ready too. She gathered everything her equipment and followed the group. It was easy to figure that the red haired guy didn´t like Jade all the time. Nobody except Plum seemed to like this guy.

Is Reya doing fine? she thought about her friend. Reya lived on Traverse Island for about 3 years now, and Su didn´t have had the time to visit her. Now thinking about it... why didn´t i think about Reya earlier? Of course i have a reason to come here! Man, what a friend am i? Forgetting about poeple i know... her thoughts finished while she looked down to the ground. All the time she walked behind the others, so she couldn´t see the man which was to envisaging himself as L.A. Lucifer Ashton? Susan never had heard about a man with that name, but she noticed his calm and clear voice. Because Susan couldn´t see anything from behind, she got a bit nervous. That´s the man who invited everyone... What does he know? What does he want? This is getting more and more interesting...

OCC: Sorry that i haven´t written more, but i think it´s better if i wait until something important happens or stuff like that... ^^;

 

[luke]

OOC: Eh... damn school. Making everyone inactive. I actually am in a creative mood tonight, so time to post! *stares blankly*

...

Mwhahahaha... um, anyway, let's go.

IC:

Juanita pushed her way through everyone, emerging from the exit from the cave, and bursting into the room on the other side. She fell to the ground, and kissed it several times. She lifted her head and looked at the others, her face flushing with color. Juanita stood and brushed off her shoulder, and straightened her back. She brushed the bangs, which were dampened by sweat, out her face. She took a deep breath and put on her complacent smile.

"Sorry... I hate caves. Cramped spaces, Zubat, damp walls. Not my cup'o'tea..." she started before she was interrupted by a man who called himself as L.A. From what she could recall, he was the man that invited them all here in the first place. He stated that there was a dinner prepared for them all in another room as some sort of gratitude for their perilous journey. Gratitude my a... Juanita then remembered she was her for business and it wouldn't be proper to think negative thoughts about her host. Juanita widened her smile and walked to L.A. and held her hand out to him. "Hello sir. My name is Juanita Sanchez, employee and envoy from the Kanto Central Government Agency, or for short the K.C.G.A. We were honored when you asked us to send a representative of OUR government to come and assist you on the island. I believe we were the only government you asked to join you if what I was told was correct?"

Then, Juanita's stomach growled. Loudly. She held her hand to her mouth and smiled. Once again, her face was flushed with blood from the sheer embarassment of the situation. What a first impression I'm making...

"I'm so sorry sir. I haven't eaten anything since we departed from Slateport. Had quite the argument with the hot dog vendor. Rude twat he was..." Juanita looked up, and realized how idiotic she sounded. "I would be delighted to eat the meal you prepared."

I... am... such... a... moron...

 

[Random_Fan]

OOC: Heh, I feel idiotic for mistakenly describing camera functions in above posts. XD Sad part is that I actually DO know how to work a camera and what functions work and whatnot. >_>;

--

If anything, Johnny had to grant that the mood had been quite creepy for awhile. He contemplated on turning on his camera again and filming the way to wherever they were heading, but fought the urge. They had made it to a corridor, and not long after that, to a slightly larger room. Not much to look at, but definitely a thumbs up from the creepiness of the cavern left behind.

Lucifer Ashton was this L.A. person's name; he introduced himself to the entire group in one introduction. And now he says he has prepared some dinner for them all. Johnny had not realized how hungry he actually felt until the mention of the word 'food' was done. His stomach grumbled; he more so felt the need to follow L.A. out of their current location and to their next.

He began to have a few thoughts; would Lucifer mind if he did his documentary? He was sure if he just asked politely, he could get away with filming some of the locations and finally being able to interview all of the passengers. He shook his head at the thought of not being allowed to do this, but he made up his mind. Even if he was told not to, he would still make his documentary. He already had his camera, and he never ever felt the urge to make a film than that very moment.

He stepped up behind Alex, not paying attention to much but his camera. He would need to charge soon. A change of batteries could help; his camera was the cheap kind that miraculously worked with brands such as Duracell and Energizer; he was lucky for this, but did not like the fact that his images would blur on video, and would sometimes not have enough memory to add more footage. He knew he should have gotten something more powerful, but for the time being, that would have to do.

He looked at a tiny socket at the side of his camera; easily, it would be able to charge with his camera's charger, but he would have to find a wall socket. He cursed in his mind; why hadn't he brought his own set of batteries? At least he brought several amounts of film; but now, he wondered…

"Alex, do you have some spare batteries I can borrow?"

Johnny hoped the answer would be a yes; he really wanted to start filming, and was not sure how long the camera would last on.

 

[Alter Ego]

At Juanita's little outburst, Alex went through the three-step program he usually followed when encountering crazy people: stare, shut up, and slowly back away. Sure he had known of people who found dank caves uncomfortable, but this lady was freaking mad. Not too bad to look at, admittedly, but still freaking mad. If that was a government representative, he really had to wonder what the heck the non-representative ones were like.

Then again, he conceded, their host was hardly what one would consider normal. The to Alex's mind elderly man took the whole scene in stride, merely smiling politely and accepting the handshake.

"Oh, the honor is all mine, I assure you." he replied diplomatically, "After all, your government is the only one of the Big Four that has yet to label me an 'undesired individual'. But that is neither here nor there." he waved his free hand to dismiss that little trifle, "The important thing is that you, my dear guests, are all here and that I'm currently most rudely holding you in suspense. This way, if you will."

With that, he took up a surprisingly vigorous stride, and Alex had to snap out of his musings so as to not fall behind as the procession was led out from the narrow corridor. The room beyond, he had to admit, was quite the change from before. The floor was not the standard smooth-worn stone of your average Traverse Island home but instead consisted of spotlessly clean teak plates, arranged in a number of complicated geometrical designs that zig-zagged across the surface of the room. And the room was not your average room either, oh no; sizable bookshelves crammed with assorted literature were positioned by the walls alongside intricately designed cupboards containing a number of decorative objects. Several expensive-looking carpets were spread across the floor, lush plants in decorative and a painting of a Gyarados in the middle of a stormy sea hung on the wall straight across from where they had entered, the real storm peeking in through the tall, narrow windows on each side, beneath which a long, wooden table extended towards them, a number of comfortable-looking chairs situated around it, the whole room bathed in the warm glow of two huge chandeliers hanging from the dome-like ceiling above. For a few moments, Alex simply gaped. This was certainly the most high-end place he had seen in his life, why he could swear that there was even a grand piano sticking out from behind that bookshelf over there. This definitely clinched it: this Ashton character was certainly not a regular old coot by any measure. To have afforded this he must have been a wealthy businessman, or maybe a gangster? Yeah, even though Alex was having considerable trouble picturing the frail - if energetic - old man in front of him going "I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse", everything else fit. Yes, he was most probably-

"Alex, do you have some spare batteries I can borrow?"

The redhead wheeled around at the inquiry, annoyed partially because he had been interrupted in mid-conspiracy but mostly because he noticed that even in the heart of Ashton's intricate web of...well, he didn't quite know what the web was made of or even if it was a web, but the point was that they were in the middle of something big and the lout still couldn't think beyond his precious camera for even a moment. Alex felt like screaming; this guy seriously needed to get a life.

"Oh, but of course." he replied with biting sarcasm, "I've got batteries all shapes and sizes just waiting to be borrowed. Why I'm a regular hardware store. Just give me a minute and I'll pull out the power generator from my backpack, then you'll have all the electricity you could possibly need." the redhead was experiencing an ever-growing need to throttle the youth in front of him, "Of course I don't have any bloody batteries! And in case you didn't notice we have bigger things to worry about here, so how about you finally give that damn camera a rest and-"

"I've got batteries." the ever calm and polite voice of Lucifer Ashton informed them, his dark green eyes focused on both of them in a disturbingly appraising manner, "And I'm certain that if you just show us what kind, my good friend Jade shall be more than happy to fetch them for you."

Alex couldn't help grinning a little as he noticed that Jade - discreetly leaning against the side of a bookshelf nearby - looked about as pleased at the prospect as an Ursaring poked out of hibernation.

"Now if this little matter is settled..." Ashton continued, "I would be infinitely obliged if you all took a seat." he gestured towards the long table, which - Alex finally noted - bore a number of bowls and plates containing a fair assortment of fruit, grapes cheeses - though, he noted to his relief, not any exorbitantly fancy (and thus smelly) ones - bread, thin slices of ham, and a number of other edibles, multiple pitchers of some kind of drink that Alex couldn't spot spread amongst them. Nothing on the table quite met Alex's standards of a proper, solid meal, but right now he was too hungry to care, quickly taking one of the seats with plate, glass and cutlery in front.

"I know it's not very much." Ashton remarked modestly, wandering over to his own seat at the end of the table, "But I'm afraid that warm dishes would have been problematic since I had no exact time of arrival or even guarantee of attendance. Please do enjoy what I have to offer, however." he spread out his hands in a magnanimous gesture, "I've always been partial to the belief that seminars aren't something you should have to endure on an empty stomach."

 

[Kogenta]

Stray followed Jade in uneasy silence, occasionally casting his gaze futilely into the darkness. Not knowing where he was and having no way to know were growing increasingly irritating. He hated feeling helpless. And more than the mention of a gorge, the guide's casual remark about an Onix caused Stray to involuntarily tense. Upon reaching the cave exit, the wanderer waited a few paces back for everyone else to slip through the door first as his eyes readjusted to the sudden change in lighting.

The lady who had screamed earlier--"Juanita?"--seemed thankful to be out of the cave, while Johnny (as usual) appeared to be preoccupied with his camera. A welcome interruption came to Alex and Jade's usual arguing in the form of the seminar host's long-awaited arrival. As his eyes performed a cursory look over the elderly man, a distasteful and previously-suppressed memory fought to surface in Stray's mind. Long hours of studying and memorizing trainer profiles streamed through the male's subconsciousness. Though it was unreasonable, the unpleasant memories associated with this "Lucifer Ashton" caused Stray to automatically dislike him. Hearing about three major government's negative opinions regarding their host hardly improved Stray's sentiment.

The dark-haired boy shouldered his backpack before starting after Ashton, only then thinking about the curiosity of Juanita's rather unprofessional behavior. In a delicate situation like this, I wonder why the government didn't send someone else. Someone more . . . stable. Then again, I don't know about stuff like this. He glanced silently at Juanita for a brief moment. I guess she's probably here for some reason.

Stray's attention was quickly drawn elsewhere as the group emerged into a new, richly decorated room. He automatically grimaced. Not my type of place. The traveler took a moment to look around, slowing his pace to an inattentive walk. Fancy floors, superfluous decorations, plants to give the illusion that something was normal about the room, and a painting that probably cost more than everything Stray had owned during the past half decade put together. What is up with this guy, anyway? I don't like this . . . At Johnny's request for batteries, Stray half-turned his head in the youth's direction. In this situation, the simple question somehow seemed incomprehensibly out of place. Understanding the statement felt like trying to remember something from a past life.

Lucifer Ashton, however, appeared undisturbed by the question and responded serenely--effortlessly healing the scratch in the dimension he had drawn his guests into. A thought triggered by this event crossed Stray's mind, and he found himself wondering what gave Ashton authority over Jade. Money? Power? Convenience? Family ties? Both of them did have green eyes. At Ashton's invitation to sit and eat, however, Stray dismissed these thoughts and watched the host quietly as he seated himself in a chair near one of the rectangular table's ends.

Though he was hungry, Stray was also suspicious. And while he knew chemical effects could be delayed, he resolved to wait at least a few minutes to see if the food had any adverse influence on the other guests. For the moment, he was satisfied to listen and satiate his curiosity.

 

[Scarlet Weather]

OOC: Laziest RPer should have been me for waiting this long to post. Jeez, I need a better work ethic.

IC:

"Whoah..."

The word slipped out of Mark's mouth involuntarily as he stared at the room in a mixture of surprise and his usual curiosity. Everything in here was at least twice as posh as his own home, and his mother was definitely a posh sort. His own house had china lining the walls, and original Sinnoh-made rugs covering every unused patch of floor that wasn't in use for something else. This room on the other hand was exactly what his mother had been aching to move into since his father's promotion to the Sinnoh Museum Curator: Nothing less then a full-scale mansion. It figured, after all, with a name like Lucifer Ashton you had to have something going for you. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had stepped into an incredibly cheesy sci-fi novel interspersed with a bit of gothic horror. All that had to happen was for them to find out that Lucifer's big discovery was that he had interspersed his DNA with that of a Zubat and the entire island was full of people in search of human blood and the whole thing could be written down and sold as a grade B vampire novel. Still, that was pretty unlikely, considering that he wasn't exactly all that pale, and if he really had discovered anything remotely like that the least he could do was make sure that he wouldn't be written down as a stereotype. Still, Mark's hand firmly gripped the rock hammer in his belt, just in case this whole thing turned out to be some sort of bizarre trap. Granted, he didn't actually think the small excavation tool would do any good against Jade and whatever other Pokemon the grizzled mariner had at his disposal, but it still felt nice to have something he could ensure his own safety with.

A low rumbling drifted in from the outside caverns as the others engaged in conversation, and all other thoughts were momentarily driven from Mark's mind as his memory analyzed it. It was another stray Onix, and since the tone was a bit lower then that of the first, probably the opposite gender, as females did tend to be a bit larger then males as he recalled. It took every iota of his willpower not to run outside for a peek. Imagine, a rock Pokemon that powerful right outside, and in its national habitat as well! A trembling ran down Mark's fingers. Surely just one quick peek so he could observe the creature for the sake of research wouldn't matter. Just one peek wouldn't be so bad. Still, his self-control hung on doggedly, reminding the fossil otaku that if he made a move towards the doorway now he might miss whatever Ashton's discovery was. The struggled continued as his hands clenched and unclenched, his palms gradually acquiring a film of sweat.

It was moments later that Ashton's voice pulled him out of his reverie, and Mark's eyes swelled as he stared at the feast spread on the table: "I know it's not very much. But I'm afraid that warm dishes would have been problematic since I had no exact time of arrival or even guarantee of attendance. Please do enjoy what I have to offer, however. I've always been partial to the belief that seminars aren't something you should have to endure on an empty stomach."

Mark nodded gratefully as he took a seat and helped himself to a slice of bread, which he carefully laced a cut of ham and cheese over before capping it with yet another slice. "You and me both," he replied gratefully as he swallowed a mouthful of makeshift sandwich. "By the way, Mr. Ashton," he asked, making sure not to sound too pushy, "Why on earth did you invite us? I mean, I'm not asking you to spill any details of your discovery early since it sounds like you've got this whole thing planned out, but why us? It looks to me like you just invited a whole bunch of random people with nothing in particular about them to serve as a unifying theme. Doesn't make a huge amount of sense, if you get my meaning." With that, he chewed and swallowed another thankful mouthful, grunting appreciatively. "Yummm... and thanks for the food, by the way."

 

[Random_Fan]

Johnny stepped back, slightly shocked. He wasn't expected the hoard of sarcasm from Alex to be thrown right at him. Surely he took the hint that Alex didn't particularly like him, but he hardly had done anything to make an enemy so quickly. A judgment came quick to his mind, and he finally confirmed and made himself believe one thing and one thing alone; Alex was a regular A-hole.

Like how Johnny had pictured all of Alex's type of people to be, he decided to act the same way to him as the many he had met during school times and other occasions. To ignore him wouldn't be enough; it would only grant satisfaction. However, to do just the opposite right in front of him; to always have the need to put him on the spot; that was a thought that made him smile as he pictured many outbursts from this Alex. He was still smiling as Alex was cut off by Lucifer himself, saying that Jade would fetch him some batteries.

However, the prospect of having a person such as Jade bring him such tiny positive and negatively charged cylinders…well, it just didn't go right. One look at Jade, and he might as well have been cracking his knuckles and neck with one left and right sweep, because he felt a vibe from him that was saying someone was going to get killed tonight.

"Nah, I should have enough juice for tonight," Johnny said sheepishly.

 

[Nigma]

OCC: Weeeehhh! I now have time to write! Impossible! Frenzy!

IC:
Su was walking behind the group, just thinking about creating a good new song to play for her e-guitar. She did always think about music if the situation was some kind of worse, and indeed the group wasn´t the in the mood for funny things or something. She remembered the melody of the Lilium, a little old music casket, and started to hum it´s melody. As she saw Juanita's outburst, the not suited question of batteries and Alex outburst, Su just couldn´t react otherwise but to laugh, laugh loudly and full of joy. "Guys, you are so funny!" She went to the mysterious Mr. Ashton. "Mr. Ashton, i want to thank you for your invitation. You don´t have to apologize for the meal, i think everybody is glad to have a little snack before starting the seminar." Susan sat down on a free seat and started to gather some ingredients to make some hand snacks.

As she was nearly finished she turned to Alex and looked at him smiling. "Hey big boy. Here have some." she said while holding her little plate with finger snacks and some sandwiches. "And don´t be angry about your -Cameraboy-... He doesn´t want to bother you, i´m sure." While she was having again her warm nurse voice, nearly motherly, she turned to the "camera-boy" as everyone was calling him. "What was your name again... Johnny, was it? Tell me, why are you carrying that camera with you? I hope i don´t look too bad in your camera. What focus do you use? Don´t be scared of "big-boy", he´s just a bit excited i think..." always showing a warm and coherent smile on her lips.

Before possibly Alex would say something about that she fixed him with her yellow eyes, with a vista which told "don´t try it or i´ll eat you". Then the guy next to her, called Mark, asked something everybody was interested in. "Why on earth did you invite us?" was the question. It sure was interesting how to choose such a group of people. Su had the feeling that she was chosen because her nurse skills would be useful. Perhaps to take care of injured Pokémon, or arguing group members...

 

[Alter Ego]

"So you figured you'd just bug me for the heck of it?" Alex barbed at Johnny's remark, snorting contemptuously, "You really are something else, ya' know that?"

With that, he proceeded to completely ignore camera-boy - and the nurse chick who, of course, had immediately rushed over to comfort him - and instead followed Mark's lead, charging at the meat and bread while there was still plenty around and quickly assembling his idea of an ideal BLT sandwich - meaning one with plenty of the B, effectively burying the L and T beneath its bulk so he could pretend they weren't there - and biting into it with voracious appetite. Suddenly, that Ashton didn't seem that bad at all, what with not placing all those prickish rules on what you should eat with what. Why every time he had tried to assemble one of these at home, his sister would lunge at him with her favorite metaphor of heart-attack-with-bread, she never did know how to-

Alex paused, a lurching feeling in his stomach effectively banishing the better part of his hunger as he recalled the reason he had come there in the first place.

Their host, meanwhile, chuckled calmly at the boys' enthusiasm, "You're quite welcome, Mr. Eschatol." he replied politely, "And there's no need for such a suspicious glare." he added in Stray's direction, "If I wished you dead I assure you that it would have been a far easier matter to arrange in those tunnels. Now as for the inquiry about my choice in guests-"

CRASH!

Alex jumped back in his seat as the table suddenly trembled violently. The source of the disturbance was not hard to locate either, as the wooden blade remained quite firmly planted on the table, a quick investigation revealing Plum at the other end, the samurai slash hot chick slash wandering aggression complex standing on the table, bold as brass. The girl had been keeping suspiciously quiet thus far, but by the looks of it her patience had just about run out.

"I have a question too, L.A.-bastard-san." she announced in that dangerously sweet voice that people keep just before they do something very nasty, raising the blade and pointing it directly towards Ashton, who seemed largely undisturbed by the whole incident, "What did you do to my family?!"

"Ah, Meiling-san..." the professor remarked, raising his right hand in a calming gesture, "We seem to have a slight misunderstanding here. Please calm down, I shall explain everything in just a moment."

"As if!" Plum snorted, taking a threatening step forward, both hands grasping the sword tightly, "Tell me what you did to my family right now, L.A.-bastard-san, or else I'll-whoa!" the samurai-in-training lost her balance in mid-threat, courtesy of a precariously positioned plate of grapes, her right foot heading skywards why the upper part of her body compensated by heading towards the table, the two connecting with a loud crash and various food items spreading across the table, several grapes rolling down on the floor.

"Plum!" Alex called out, darting up from his seat, only to find that Jade had already crossed the distance and was currently examining the girl who was sprawled unconscious on the table.

"Oh, dear..." Ashton tutted, slowly shaking his head, "Is Meiling-san alright?"

"Yeah, looks like it." Jade replied, probing the girl's bones for brittle points, a procedure which Alex for one found decidedly lecherous, "Nothing broken at least, but she'll be out of it for a while."

"Well, that's a relief." the professor replied, "Jade, would you be so kind as to take her up to the guest room to recover? I'm afraid that dinner tables aren't exactly conductive for that sort of thing."

Jade nodded, nonchalantly picking the girl up and starting to carry her away towards a spiral staircase at the right.

"Now not to worry, Mr.Maxwell." Ashton forestalled the redhead's question, turning his calming gesture towards the boy, "Your friend is in good hands, and should any complications arise, I'm sure that miss Suman." he nodded towards the nurse at this point, "Will prove more than capable of handling the situation. You have my word that she will be looked after."

'The word of a potential mob boss.' the little conspiracy theorist inside Alex protested, but he reluctantly settled down again.

"Now then..." Ashton continued in a conversational tone, "I really do apologize for that little scene, and I assure you: this is all a misunderstanding that shall be dealt with in short order. As for the original question - one which I'm sure my good friend Jade would like answered as well - I assure you that you have all been chosen by your own merits and seeing you all here I am fully confident that I chose correctly. I realize that this is vague, but I truly can not explain it better than that at the moment. I can, however, go into more detail about why I asked you to come here, and as I'm sure you're all as anxious to know this as Meiling-san, I believe I have kept you in suspense long enough." he tapped a small button beneath the table by his seat, and with a soft hum, the painting of the Gyarados began sliding to the left and into a thin space inside the wall, revealing a shaded compartment of some sort in the wall behind, "If I may turn everyone's attention here for a moment?"

OOC: Yeah, going to continue on that in the next post because I'm sort of short on time right now. Just wanted to get something posted today. :3 Anyways, all will be revealed in the next post, honest. Oh, and that would be my way of puppeteering Plum out of the plot's way, as per Phanima's request. Hope that's okay with everyone. ^.^

 

[Scarlet Weather]

Mark stared at Alex, the Traverse native, as the older boy verbally barbed that one kid with the video camera, Johnny, yet again. At this point, the fossil enthusiast had no desire to step in and put himself at odds with the rest of the group, but given the choice he'd probably select the kid with the camera as a friend. In his experience, anyone who didn't feel any remorse after verbally lambasting someone would probably do so frequently and loudly. On the other hand, he wondered if he and Johnny would find any common ground, unless the other kid wanted to make a documentary on fossil excavation. Slowly, Mark poured himself a glass of grape juice from a conveniently located pitcher and lifted it to his lips, savoring the sweet, rich flavor. If nothing else could be said for this journey, at least the food was good. A smile graced his lips as Lucifer Ashton, their host, addressing him as "Mr. Eschatol", prepared to answer Mark's earlier question. Before the esteemed host could finish his answer, however, the samurai girl Mark had seen on board the ship earlier leaped onto the table and pulled out her sword, and all hell broke loose.

Mark leaped to his feet and scurried away from the table, his right hand curled around his rock hammer, not that a weapon that small would actually do him any good if this psycho-samurai-girl started swinging around that beast of a weapon she was carrying. Praying that his journey was not about to be precluded by a psychotic woman with a weapon from the feudal era, Mark hastily jotted the event down as something to tell his children, should he live long enough to propagate, when they left home: "Always remember, kids, if whatever you're doing involves a girl with a big weapon, either steer clear of it or pack a can of mace."

Now the girl had begun shouting at Ashton, demanding to know what had happened to her family. The apparently unfazed host protested that this was all a mistake, but he wasn't allowed to finish before the girl conveniently slipped on a plate of grapes and crash-landed directly next to Mark, who could only stare at her with eyes wide as grapefruits. He remained staring throughout the entire process of Plum's removal, only stopping when her body had left the room and he realized that his fist was still curled around his rock hammer, which he returned to its usual place, feeling a bit sheepish. It was then that "L.A." made the announcement that he was about to reveal the reason he had invited them to the island in the first place. Mark's only response was a quiet "Well, finally!" muttered beneath his breath as he stepped forward and watched Lucifer press a hidden switch beneath the table which... no, it was simply too cliche. Mark stared as the Gyarados poster moved aside, revealing a shadowy cavity within. Still, cliche or no, it was what he had come to see, and the fossil enthusiast directed his attention to the shaded compartment as directed without complaint.

 

[Alter Ego]

'A moving portrait.' Alex's inner monologue commented at the sight in front of him.

"Oh, come now..." professor Ashton tutted at the lightly disapproving glances he was receiving, "...you have to admit it's a classic. Besides, it's not the hiding place that is important, it's what's inside it." at this point he reached into the shadowed cavity, grasping a sturdy and above all heavy-looking black suitcase with both hands and carefully placing it on the table, revealing no less than three separate locks sealing away its contents.

"Within this case is the reason I called you all here." the professor announced, "But first: is anyone here familiar with the term 'pokérus'?"

Alex raised a hand hesitantly, feeling very much like he was back at a pokémonology lesson at school, "It's...that thingie that helps pokémon grow faster, isn't it?" he suggested.

"Indeed it is." Ashton replied, apparently pleased at someone having heard of it, "I would not blame any of you for not knowing. These 'thingies' as Mr.Maxwell so eloquently put it are quite rare and information concerning them is scarce at best. The pokérus is a kind of micro-organism that apparently thrives only on a pokémon host. At first, they cause light illness within their host, much like a regular virus would, but overtime pokérus and host body adapt to each other, and more intriguingly...aid each other. A pokémon infected with this rare virus strain will grow at an exceptionally fast rate, making them highly valued commodities among professional trainers. However, having spent most of my career studying this virus, I can assure you that this is but a fraction of the virus' true power." he paused, "But no, rather than merely lecturing about I think a demonstration is in order." he reached beneath the table again, procuring a small, black remote control and pointing it towards the crevice where the suitcase had been.

At the click of a button, the plasma screen at the back of the crevice came to life, displaying a white, unadorned room lit by bright, electric lights in the ceiling. In the middle of the room, a tiny, bluish squirrel with a long fluffy tail peering towards the camera with a pair of innocent, beetle black eyes, its teal ears pointing straight upwards.

"Pachi?" the creature inquired in adorable stereo sound.

"Observe."

"Go, Tiamat."

Jade's voice immediately drew Alex's attention back to the screen, just in time to witness the materialization of the giant sea serpent from before, the creature towering threateningly over the tiny squirrel.

"Pa-chi?" the creature stammered, slowly backing away.

"Tiamat, Dragon Rage."

"Keep a close eye on the statistics." Ashton suggested, nodding towards two sets of charts and graphs that had appeared underneath the scene of Pachirisu getting flung back like a rag doll, the feeble attempts at electrocution sliding of Tiamat without seeming to bother the creature at all. The statistics were apparently monitoring vital signs and statics of various kinds, and considering that one was severly behind on everything compared to the other, it wasn't hard to guess which was which. Alex was about to ask why Ashton insisted on showing this gruesome spectacle, but the professor forestalled him by placing his index finger over his lips, the familiar smile playing on his features once more, "It should show right about...now."

Alex blinked as the tiny squirrel leapt aside from a second shockwave with surprising speed, casting another glance at the statistics. The boy blinked again - he could have sworn that the numbers weren't like that a moment ago, and sure enough, as the electric type regained its composure, glaring at its opponent and unleashing an angry little "pa-chi" the columns spiked again. Electricity crackled around the squirrel's cheeks, its growl rising to a maddened pitch as the charts climbed ever higher, "Paaa-chiii!"

The redhead gasped, almost toppling his chair as a flash of blinding white appeared on the screen, mere moments before the image began crackling and distorting, soon fading completely to leave the usual 'snowstorm' of a broken image.

For a few more moments, Alex stared at the empty screen in disbelief. Jade looked disinterested, but Ashton was practically brimming with enthusiasm as he awaited the inevitable question.

"That is the point where our recording equipment broke down." he remarked casually, "Ladies, gentlemen, what you just witnessed was the effect of the Neo Genesis virus, NG for short. Not the greatest of names, I'll be the first to admit, but other than that I'd say that it's quite extaordinary, wouldn't you agree? You see, a pokémon's body is normally constrained to using only a fraction of the energy at its disposal, but when the NG-virus feels threatened it nullifies these inner constraints, allowing the host pokémon to briefly battle at a level that would normally be far beyond it." the unreadable smile played on Ashton's lips once more, clearly this was a subject he was very fond of, "Of course the brightest flames burn the shortest. These spurts of power place great strain on the host body and can only be maintained for a brief moment without placing the pokémon at risk. They also consume a vast amount of energy, leaving the host exhausted as a result. Usually, however - a brief moment is enough. The point remains that a pokémon strengthened by the NG-virus could potentially be in a league far beyond its regular siblings."

Alex frowned without not really knowing why, something about the term 'NG-virus' just didn't sit well with him. Still, he shrugged the feeling off for the moment, deciding that there were more important questions to ask, "So you're saying that you've got some kind of special virus that makes pokémon crazily powerful..." he began, "...but just what does this have to do with us? More importantly: what does this have to do wit what's been going on with Traverse Island?"

"Very prudent questions, Mr.Maxwell." Ashton conceded, "I'm afraid that this island is currently locked down because of no other reason than the NG-virus. Allow me to clarify." he absent-mindedly flicked the remote control again, turning off the blurred screen, "As you know, all contact with Traverse Island was cut off approximately two months ago. What you probably don't know, however, is that this had nothing to do with the storm that ravaged the area at the time." he shook his head, "That blackout was planned, not by me-" he added, forestalling Alex's inevitable intervention with a polite smile, "No, this was the work of the Garland Gang, and I assure you, Mr.Maxwell, I'm as confused about this as your are." he added in response to the redhead's sceptical expression, "I, too, have always been under the impression that they were a small-time organization. They've run a decent black market operation here in Traverse Town for many years, certainly, but they're hardly a new Team Rocket. Or at least...they didn't use to be; the fact remains that it was Garland Gang thugs who sacked this town under the cover of the power short, and my dear friend Jade assure me that it's certainly them patrolling the streets and maintaining the nine o'clock curfew they've set up." he tutted disapprovingly, "It's all too organized to be Garland's machination, however; he may be cunning, but he's certainly not clever enough to arrange a scheme of this magnitude, let alone develop these..." he gestured towards the eggs, "Whoever created the NG-virus would have needed both resources and scientific knowledge exceeding my own, to not only cultivate the pokérus but refine it to such a point. The person responsible must be...brilliant..."

There was a certain touch of admiration in the old man's voice as he said the last words, and Alex wasn't quite sure he approved of it. The professor seemed to pick up on this as well, snapping out of his reverie and resuming his speech, "Regardless, it seems clear to me that whoever is behind this would not be content with simply lording over Traverse Island. If the documents Jade secured are any indication: our mystery adversary intends to use this island as a staging ground, a base of sorts where he can cultivate his virus and replicate it...in large amounts." Ashton's expression was dead serious as he surveyed his guests, "The document in question requested an assembly of 50 000 specimens for the next phase of the project. Having shown you the footage, I hope that I do not need to impress on any of you what such an amount of empowered pokémon could cause."

Alex, quite frankly, was speechless. This was like something out of a sci-fi novel, but after having given himself a firm pinch in the arm, the islander had effectively been convinced that he wasn't dreaming, "So...just what do you expect us to do, then?" he asked somewhat shakily. Alex was no coward, but neither was he suicidal, "I mean, you're not suggesting that we - a bunch of complete rookies - try to overthrow this organization with a handful of hatchlings, do you?"

"Oh, goodness no." Ashton replied, causing Alex to relax visibly, "We do not yet know the scope of this new enemy or even the full extent of their motives, research on the NG-virus is also still underway so a direct confrontation at this point would be reckless in the extreme. You'll be trained first."

"What?!" the redhead spluttered, "Look, I hate to be the spoilsport here but we're only nine people and I doubt that anyone here has even completed a real pokémon battle in their life! Superpowered pokémon or no, this plan of yours is crazy."

"I told him as much." remarked Jade's voice, its owner leaning against the wall on the right, having appeared in the same ominous manner as he did at the boat, "I told you, Ashton: these lot doesn't have what it takes. Just let me handle this on my own."

"Mistrusting as always, my dear Jade." Ashton remarked, peering straight into the other's eyes for a moment, "I wonder what would have happened if you would have been that way ten years ago."

Jade scoffed in response, averting his gaze, but didn't interject further.

"I realize that this may seem a bit overwhelming, Mr.Maxwell." he continued apologetically, "But let me assure you, I have full confidence in all of you. Thanks to my dear Jade's efforts, the NG-project has been set back significantly; these prototypes are currently the only pokémon in existence that harbor the fully developed NG-virus. If there is to be any hope for toppling this new threat, it lies within these eggs..." his gaze shifted to the people gathered around the table again, "...and you, of course."

Alex was still doubtful, "Why us?" he asked, "I mean, couldn't you have called in the elite four or something?"

"I'm afraid not." Ashton replied, "As I already mentioned, I am hardly popular in official circles, and the evidence I have managed to gather is not nearly conclusive enough. Even if I managed to sway the big four into declaring war on Traverse Island and shutting down the operation here, there's no guarantee that the mastermind behind it will not simply relocate and start anew. No, this threat must be eliminated in one fell swoop, and for that I need people who are not tied down by political obligations. Between the nine of you, you have talents and experiences from all walks of life. You have a native of Traverse Island to guide you, a young man well versed in underground work whose skills may well come to good use, a documentarist capable of recording information that may prove vital for your success, and a medical specialist to care for the wounds of both you and your pokémon among others. If you can combine all these skills with the power contained within these eggs, the result could be truly astounding. I shall also place all the resources I can spare at your disposal, and regardless of what happens, the pokémon will be yours to keep. Of course, I can not force your decision..." he conceded, "If there are any among you who do not wish to risk their well-being for this cause, you may leave and I shall have Jade escort you safely to your homes, but rest assured: a united front is always the strongest. If you have the courage to become what I know you could be, then select the egg you desire and press the release button." he gestured towards the small, red buttons at the side of each container, "The fluid within is currently halting the development of the pokémon inside, but once you release it the egg will hatch. At that point, there's no turning back." Ashton cast one last, long glance at the group, "The decision is yours, my dear guests."


OOC: Alrighty, it's (finally) time to get your starting pokémon, so your next posts should be about introducing them. Once introductions are over and done with, we'll finally get some action in this plot. ;3

 

[luke]

OOC: *Scuttles in like a bad boy* Sorry for not posting AE. I've been a bad Poryg--well, I guess I can't call myself Porygon anymore. I guess I've been a bad Lucas. There we go: I've been a bad Lucas.

IC:

Juanita wasn't feeling well. The food Lucifer had provided was not sitting well with her stomach. Her arms were hugged tightly around her waste and a slight green color had crept into her face. Juanita was taking deep, resounding breaths as she attempted to suppress the urge to vomit. Why me... She gagged once more, and felt the urge to vomit slowly slipping away. Meanwhile, she listened to what her host said, and tried to watch the screen carefully as some squirrel fought some large dragon. Pokemon are so... peculiar... I never understood the obsession with them.

Lucifer went on further to explain that it was up to Juanita and her fellow guests to take care of whatever was plaguing the island. They would also have to take a Pokemon partner in order to do so.

"ME! Training a Pokemon!? Incredulous! I can't... I simply cannot do it. I don't know a thing about Pokemon. They're frightening little things. Since I was a child, Pokemon always seemed so.. so aggressive towards me. I don't know sir..." Juanita trailed off. Her parents would be so disapproving of her training a Pokemon. Well, her mother would be at least. Juanita remembered the times when she little and her parents would argue about whether or not to let her train when she was little. Juanita's father thought it would be a good idea as it was a way to make friends and see the world. Her mother thought friends were a waste of time and the only true way in life was to work and become successful. Oh how Juanita admired the other children when they left home with their Pidgey, Bellsprout and Staryu. She would never have shown it unless she wanted the wrath of her mother upon her. Eventually, she grew out of her admiration and grew to despise Pokemon. If she couldn't travel like the others, she would at least hate what they did. Then, when she got a job at the Pokemon League, she could now regulate what they could do with their Pokemon. What power, what fulfillment...

But now it was her job that had landed her in a position to have to actually train a Pokemon. Juanita never disappointed the higher-ups, especially her father. So if it meant taking a Pokemon and battling some random thugs, she would do it. Juanita was the first to stand from her chair. She made her way to the plethora of eggs and looked at which egg was the most appealing.

Juanita's hands were shaking. I have to pick a good one... One that won't bite me... Like that boy's Bidoof... When she was around five or six years old, an older boy's Bidoof had grown irritated with Juanita's constant speeches to the boy and proceeded to clamp it's bucktoothed grin into her right leg. The boy quickly grabbed the beaver and pulled him off Juanita's leg, apologizing profusely as he did so. Juanita burst into tears, running home to her father. He quickly bandaged the wound and told her to not tell her mother. If Juanita said anything, there would be no chance of Juanita ever training a Pokemon. In the end, it didn't matter, but at the time Juanita did her best to keep it a secret.

Then, one egg in particular caught her eye. It was suspended within a large tube by some strange fluid her host said was preventing it from hatching. It's shell was black and glimmering, much like a clear, summer night. Juanita decided: that was the egg she wanted. She walked to the tube and pressed the red button, which quickly caused the mysterious liquid to dissipate. The egg gently dropped and as soon as any trace of the liquid was gone, it began to hatch. Several cracks formed in the side and a faint aura began to emit from the egg. The cracks continued to grow in size and the brightness of the aura intensified. A tiny, yellow beak breached the edge of the egg and from it escaped a faint "caw." Tiny blue eyes appeared next, followed by a jet-black wing. Shards of the shell fell and soon a tiny, exposed Murkrow sat before Juanita.

"My Aunt Lulabelle had one of these. Tricky little birds they are," Juanita said in complete awe. Her whole body was trembling. Was this Murkrow really her Pokemon? She reached into the machine and grabbed the Murkrow gently. It shook its head vapidly, staring blankly into Juanita's eyes. It cawed again. "Well, you're not all that bad. But I wonder: are you a boy or a girl..." The Murkrow let out a faint snarling sound.

"If I had to guess, you're probably a boy. But Murkrow is so gloomy sounding. I'm going to call you PERCIVAL!" Juanita said. Percival cawed in response, happy to see its new mother smiling. It fluttered its wing gently, attempting to fly. However, it only managed to lift a few inches from her hands before falling back gently into her hands. "From what I can remember Percival, mother birds have to teach their hatchlings how to fly. Since I don't have wings, I can't exactly show you how to fly. But I'm sure there's some way I can teach you."

Juanita felt strange. She had never really held a Pokemon before, but with this Pokemon in her hands, it felt right. However, she knew nothing about training, battling, or taking care of Pokemon. But this little guy was already attached to her. From what she learned in school, species of bird grew attached to the first person or animal they spotted. Thus, Juanita could presume that Percival now saw her as his mother.

"I hope I'm a good mother..."