[Game] Lord Windos' PokeRole Adventure: Celadon City Vandel

[Spiritmon]

[For now, I will observe. There isnt much I could do to add anything...Weavile, Dragonstrike, Windos...and Reiner. I wish you all goodluck. This is what I can do.]

[Not going interfere, just wishing you all luck.]

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Weavile was indeed quite perplexed at being spontaneously summoned here, squinting his eyes against the pure sterile whiteness of the place he was in. What the heck? One moment he's chilling in his Pokeball, the next he's forcibly materialized in this......place? That seems......familiar to it somehow? What in Arceas name is going on here.....

Mew, on the other hand, seemed completely unphazed at her summons to the White Space Betix, nor was too concerned with the black cat thief's appearance alongside Reiner, save for mild curiosity. She didn't know why they were summoned too, but if [Dragonstrike] thought it important for them to be here, so be it. Its not like they would negatively impact what the Revelations that was to come....

However, there were a few things about the semi-sociopathic Mythic that seemed.....off, given her current state. Namely, that she was giving off tense, anxious, and.......faintly hopeful vibes, physically expressed by her tail twitching restlessly back and forth. To Reiner, it would almost seem like see was......waiting in suspense. Anticipating something......big.

Then you chimed in, causing both Dark and Divine felines to swivel their head rapidly towards you to stare at, Weavile's accusatory (Oh boy, THEY are responsible for this. Ugh, what is it they want NOW....) and Mew's unflinching and.....intrigued (['A bit grandiose way to clue Reiner in, and I do not understand Weavile's inclusion, but this does give us all a great measure of privacy, so I do not mind. Now then, if you would.....let's get started.']). Looks like the Pokemon have a better idea of what happening than you do......hmm.

[Hey, I don't mind that at all, especially if it serves the plot and creativity! Permission to continue granted, mate!]

[Hehehe...I'm gonna do a little more than clue Reiner in, actually.  You'll see soon enough.]

When Weavile and Mew look around to look at that voice, they don't end up looking straight up like Weavile usually does.

Instead, the echoes coalesce in a single spot somewhere in the distance, towards what would have been a horizon if this were a normal location...

...it is far, far from a normal place, though.

When the echoes of Reiner's questions and the thoughts of Weavile and Mew come to a stop...what could only be described as a tear in the fabric of reality opens up where the sounds had gathered.  On the other side of it appears to be...what appears to be four humans battling a knight of some kind?  And the sound of music starts to come from it, too...

The Space Between Worlds: Prelude - Final Fantasy I and II: Dawn of Souls

And out of that same rift steps what appears to be a figure of uncertain height, weight, gender, demeanor...when the two felines and Reiner think they'd determined one trait, it would shift to another almost immediately, never settling on a single one.

...there is only one way to describe such an entity: Fluid.  Uncertain.  Like they were many people simultaneously, all packed into a single space.

Of course, that's hard for mere mortals to understand.

*snap*

The figure stops shifting, instead becoming...a shadow at first.  But then it shifts one last time...

...and Reiner is effectively looking at himself.  Except not.  The hair is green, not blue.  So are the eyes.  While Reiner's wearing a jacket made of Arbok skin, the figure is wearing a jacket made from sparkling Dragonair skin.  But aside from details like that to distinguish the two of them, the figure looks like Reiner, albeit one that could be from an alternate reality.

The figure looks behind himself.  Notices the rift he's opened is still there.  "Whoops, left one of my recent projects open...hmmm...music's nice, though...alright, that'll be what plays here, then."  A wave of his hand, and the rift closes.  But the music that was coming out of it continues playing, coming from both nowhere and everywhere simultaneously.

It's at that moment that Reiner realizes who exactly is standing in front of them.  But how exactly he feels about it...it's hard to tell.  There are many emotions he's experiencing right now, some nice, others...not.

"Well then, I suppose I don't need any introductions.  You all know who I...actually...ah, right.  Almost forgot.  You don't know my name yet, do you, Weavile?  Well, forgive my earlier rudeness.  You may call me Dragonstrike.  Pleasure to finally introduce myself to you in person, old friend."  The statement is an oddity, a contradiction, something that no normal person would ever say, and yet it's said so casually that it's hard to believe any part of it is untrue.  I've definitely known Reiner, Weavile, Kingdra, and all closely related to their pasts for most of their lifespans [even if some of them are still figments of the imagination instead of words on paper].

I throw out my arms to indicate the entirety of the empty space around us.  "And to all of you...welcome to The Space Between Worlds.  The realm where anything is possible, so long as we will it to be so."

"...and why the @#$% did you drag us to this damn place?  We were in the middle of something, you know."

"I see you're still ignoring your mother's attempts to dissuade you from indulging in your more...colorful side, Reiner.  There's no need for such unpleasantness here.  I'm very well aware I interrupted something.  You've been thinking long and hard about how to respond to Alexandria, Reiner.  Longer than you realize.  Or maybe you know how long you've been thinking.  You're time as Mew and interactions with those beyond your world has seemed to heighten your awareness over time, after all, even though you no longer have the same innate abilities that our pink companion does.  Though I suppose that hardly matters right this moment."

Another rift opens behind the party of three.  On the other side of that one is the current situation in the NRF, clear for all to see.  Reiner talking with Alexandria.  Lindworm and Arial (im)patiently waiting for Reiner to finish talking with the survivor he found.  The ravaged yard outside the NRF's front doors.  Time appears to be at a standstill.

Then the rift closes again, leaving nothing but empty space and the 4 figures once more.

"Do not worry.  This won't take up any of your time in your world.  There are some important things that need to be discussed, and it needs to be away from prying eyes and ears.  Visiting this realm is by invitation only, so we 4 [and Windos and Spiritmon, technically] are the only ones here.  Well, I suppose maybe Arceus could drop in uninvited if they REALLY wanted to, given their own massive powers over the creation of everything...but I doubt they will interrupt us.  They're always busy with something or other, after all.  Or napping, depending on which universe we're talking about.  And given the nature of one of the topics I wish to broach, interrupting would be a fairly...unwise thing to do, to say the least."

I look at Weavile.  "Hmmm...it appears you have something you wish to say...very well."  I wave my hand, and it starts glowing.  Weavile inexplicably starts doing the same motion not of his own volition, his claw also glowing the exact same way.  How to perform this new move is quickly burned into his memory, and it's a skill that Weavile has wanted to pick up for a long, long time...

Weavile has learned Assist as a Surprise! for 16 XP.

Then some more rifts open up, each paused, each showing a different person in the process of speaking in some manner.  One of the ones somewhere in the mix is a memory of the battle with Mew, where he was able to use his inner voice, his true voice, to communicate with Reiner.  Those thoughts can somehow be heard loud and clear.  There are many, many possibilities to choose from, though, so many to listen to...which is why I also included a handy search bar just above the revolving set of what's effectively youtube videos [none of which break the immersion of the world Reiner and co. live in, so don't worry about that!] and a floating keyboard for Weavile to type with (another skill that Assist can help Weavile perform).

"Pick a voice.  Any voice.  But once you've picked one, that's the only one you'll be able to use while using the Cat's Paw to imitate human speech.  Choose wisely.  If you wish to continue to be yourself, that is but one possibility you can choose from.  And once you've picked one...go ahead and speak your mind."

It's at this point that it's probably suitable for Weavile to react accordingly to the situation.  And maybe Mew, given that this is where Weavile's...unique situation is seeing a little more light shed on it.

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

[Hehehe...I'm gonna do a little more than clue Reiner in, actually.  You'll see soon enough.]


When Weavile and Mew look around to look at that voice, they don't end up looking straight up like Weavile usually does.

Instead, the echoes coalesce in a single spot somewhere in the distance, towards what would have been a horizon if this were a normal location...

...it is far, far from a normal place, though.

When the echoes of Reiner's questions and the thoughts of Weavile and Mew come to a stop...what could only be described as a tear in the fabric of reality opens up where the sounds had gathered.  On the other side of it appears to be...what appears to be four humans battling a knight of some kind?  And the sound of music starts to come from it, too...

The Space Between Worlds: Prelude - Final Fantasy I and II: Dawn of Souls

And out of that same rift steps what appears to be a figure of uncertain height, weight, gender, demeanor...when the two felines and Reiner think they'd determined one trait, it would shift to another almost immediately, never settling on a single one.

...there is only one way to describe such an entity: Fluid.  Uncertain.  Like they were many people simultaneously, all packed into a single space.

Of course, that's hard for mere mortals to understand.



*snap*

The figure stops shifting, instead becoming...a shadow at first.  But then it shifts one last time...

...and Reiner is effectively looking at himself.  Except not.  The hair is green, not blue.  So are the eyes.  While Reiner's wearing a jacket made of Arbok skin, the figure is wearing a jacket made from sparkling Dragonair skin.  But aside from details like that to distinguish the two of them, the figure looks like Reiner, albeit one that could be from an alternate reality.

The figure looks behind himself.  Notices the rift he's opened is still there.  "Whoops, left one of my recent projects open...hmmm...music's nice, though...alright, that'll be what plays here, then."  A wave of his hand, and the rift closes.  But the music that was coming out of it continues playing, coming from both nowhere and everywhere simultaneously.

It's at that moment that Reiner realizes who exactly is standing in front of them.  But how exactly he feels about it...it's hard to tell.  There are many emotions he's experiencing right now, some nice, others...not.

"Well then, I suppose I don't need any introductions.  You all know who I...actually...ah, right.  Almost forgot.  You don't know my name yet, do you, Weavile?  Well, forgive my earlier rudeness.  You may call me Dragonstrike.  Pleasure to finally introduce myself to you in person, old friend."  The statement is an oddity, a contradiction, something that no normal person would ever say, and yet it's said so casually that it's hard to believe any part of it is untrue.  I've definitely known Reiner, Weavile, Kingdra, and all closely related to their pasts for most of their lifespans [even if some of them are still figments of the imagination instead of words on paper].

I throw out my arms to indicate the entirety of the empty space around us.  "And to all of you...welcome to The Space Between Worlds.  The realm where anything is possible, so long as we will it to be so."

"...and why the @#$% did you drag us to this damn place?  We were in the middle of something, you know."

"I see you're still ignoring your mother's attempts to dissuade you from indulging in your more...colorful side, Reiner.  There's no need for such unpleasantness here.  I'm very well aware I interrupted something.  You've been thinking long and hard about how to respond to Alexandria, Reiner.  Longer than you realize.  Or maybe you know how long you've been thinking.  You're time as Mew and interactions with those beyond your world has seemed to heighten your awareness over time, after all, even though you no longer have the same innate abilities that our pink companion does.  Though I suppose that hardly matters right this moment."

Another rift opens behind the party of three.  On the other side of that one is the current situation in the NRF, clear for all to see.  Reiner talking with Alexandria.  Lindworm and Arial (im)patiently waiting for Reiner to finish talking with the survivor he found.  The ravaged yard outside the NRF's front doors.  Time appears to be at a standstill.



Then the rift closes again, leaving nothing but empty space and the 4 figures once more.

"Do not worry.  This won't take up any of your time in your world.  There are some important things that need to be discussed, and it needs to be away from prying eyes and ears.  Visiting this realm is by invitation only, so we 4 [and Windos and Spiritmon, technically] are the only ones here.  Well, I suppose maybe Arceus could drop in uninvited if they REALLY wanted to, given their own massive powers over the creation of everything...but I doubt they will interrupt us.  They're always busy with something or other, after all.  Or napping, depending on which universe we're talking about.  And given the nature of one of the topics I wish to broach, interrupting would be a fairly...unwise thing to do, to say the least."

I look at Weavile.  "Hmmm...it appears you have something you wish to say...very well."  I wave my hand, and it starts glowing.  Weavile inexplicably starts doing the same motion not of his own volition, his claw also glowing the exact same way.  How to perform this new move is quickly burned into his memory, and it's a skill that Weavile has wanted to pick up for a long, long time...

Weavile has learned Assist as a Surprise! for 16 XP.

Then some more rifts open up, each paused, each showing a different person in the process of speaking in some manner.  One of the ones somewhere in the mix is a memory of the battle with Mew, where he was able to use his inner voice, his true voice, to communicate with Reiner.  Those thoughts can somehow be heard loud and clear.  There are many, many possibilities to choose from, though, so many to listen to...which is why I also included a handy search bar just above the revolving set of what's effectively youtube videos [none of which break the immersion of the world Reiner and co. live in, so don't worry about that!] and a floating keyboard for Weavile to type with (another skill that Assist can help Weavile perform).

"Pick a voice.  Any voice.  But once you've picked one, that's the only one you'll be able to use while using the Cat's Paw to imitate human speech.  Choose wisely.  If you wish to continue to be yourself, that is but one possibility you can choose from.  And once you've picked one...go ahead and speak your mind."

It's at this point that it's probably suitable for Weavile to react accordingly to the situation.  And maybe Mew, given that this is where Weavile's...unique situation is seeing a little more light shed on it.

[Oh? Hm....very well. Just don't take waste too much of your with the theatric, Dragonstrike. I rather try to destroy some Cursed Arms 'sooner' rather than 'later'.]

By and large, Mew looked markedly unimpressed with your initial metamorphic appearance, giving you a half-hearted roll of her eyes before she crossed her arms and awaited whatever else you had plan. This wasn't the first time she's seen such things or similar in her LONG life, nor were they the most bizarre thing she ever experienced, so in her currently emotionally bereft state she moved to feel anything than slight exasperation.

The big bad black Weavile himself, however, felt constantly unnerved as he stared at you with wide eyes, pricks, goosebumps and an odd, almost electric tingling sensation racing all over his supple feline form them longer he held you within his gaze. He almost top a couple steps back - anything to get away and stop this unearthly feeling of suspense - before he caught himself panicking and wildly shook his head to snap himself out of it, now fixing you with hostile glare and toothy scowl for the 'stunt' you tried to pull.

Your Alter-Reiner form and choice of background music manages to earn an raised, appraising eyebrow/ridge from the semi-sociopathic Mythic and a sharp *Hiss!* of surprise as he reeled backwards, before he force himself calm and still by firmly planting his feet into the 'ground' and leaning forward aggressively to show he will NOT be cowed ANYMORE by YOU. When you gave your name to the cat burglar and addressed him as a friend, his eyes lite up in full recognition before they narrowed into sliver as he let out a sharp, derisive "Weavile, Weavile!" and swept his arm in chopping motion. Given the...…circumstance, you were able to perfectly understand him: "I am not your friend, you pest, so buzz off like a Beedrill!". Ouch, talk about a mean diss!

Your subsequent explanations and shows of reality bending power failed to elicit any response from the muted pink fuzzball other than a 'Hmm.....' sound, while the sly feline did his best to maintain his composure and glare, thought it slipped a few times with surprise. Mew did pique up once you begin to chatter about the Creationist Herself, raising one paw to interrupt you.

'Palkia himself and Giratina can also freely enter the 'Space Between Worlds' as well too, Dragonstrike. Large congragations of Unown can also make breaches into this 'place', though its rare for them to so, to say the least. I doubt The Spatial Incarnate is aware of our presence here or in general, though, and The Queen of the Underworld is.....busy right now, so she's not liable to make an appearance either. As for Arceas, I don't believe she's aware of this meeting, or anyone here at all for that matter. Otherwise, I'd expect a.....swift and sudden interjection from her. She's not terribly fond of extradimensional beings other than Windos, and even less so for anything or one connected to the Cursed Arms. Hm....well, I think she would approve of your plans and support it, but she probably want to eradicate Reiner as we know him for his connection to you and...….them. Which neither of us want at all. So, yes, I agree that her interrupting things would be the last thing we want.'

She says this all blithely and matter of factly, with some emphasis and gesturing every now and again to signify importance. Both of you/you were not entirely sure if she said this as droll re-assurance, or a semi-subtle message to hurry up before any of the aforementioned Godly Legends catch wind of this shindig. Either way, at least the divine feline was being much more emotive now than her new 'normal' , so that'll make communications easier....

As for the Surprise! [Which is granted, btw!], The Master Pickpocket reacted....poorly to your gift of Assistance. His eyes widened like saucers and he jerked violently as the Move was forcibly seared into his mind, like a hot brand on taffy. It was strongly painless, but that didn't mean it was pleasant for Weavile. Arrrrrrrgh. Despite his....discomfort, he managed to retain enough control to snapped his head towards you and let out a terrible *SNARL*, before he shot his other paw forward, and immediately large javelins of ice formed above you before he sent them spiraling down with a flick of his wrist!

Icicle Crash!
Accuracy: DEX (4) + Fight (5) + Channel (3) + Single Action (2) = 14D6 Dice
(3)(4)(5)(6)(3)(1)(3)(4)(3)(5)(2)(2)(1)(5) One of the frozen chucks conks you straight on the head! Critical Hit!
Damage: STR (4) + 3 + STAB + Crit - Vitality (5 [Since you have taken the form of Reiner]) = 5D6 Damage
(1)(1)(1)(5)(5) 'Dragonstrike' takes 1 Damage, 9/10 HP!
Flitch: (6)(3)(3) You're Flinched!

While the improtu shower of hail hardly did an serious harm, it was enough to interrupt you before you could summon up the T.W.E.I and explain what you just did! You'd never expect that taking on a material form would leave you susceptible to harm or outside interference, but guess you learned something important now, didn't you? As did Reiner too, since he got a front row view of the action. Oh boy.....

"What the fuck are you trying to pull here, you-!!"

From out of nowhere a hither unknown suave, husky voice shouted out his outrage, before it abruptly cut off with a gasp. All eyes immediately went to the source, and found it to be none other than Weavile himself, looking simultaneously shocked and still a touch enraged at hearing himself speak. Huh, neither of you/you wouldn't have figured he'd subconsciously choose Sebastian's Voice but Deeper and Raspy/Huskier from Black Butler [How and Why he came to watch that anime I'll leave up to you, mates!], but you have to say it's not a bad fit for the cool operator. 

Mew.....you/you could see her sporting a slight smirk at both you and Weavile, thought it soon faded away a moment later. Huh.....was that a good or bad thing just now....?

[Well that escalated quickly! Reactions time, eh?]

[Dragonstrike]

"...Weavile...be careful what you do in this place...I don't think this is a time to be fighting amongst ourselves...you heard Mew...lots of mean stuff that could simply just waltz in here and eradicate us if we catch their attention..."

Reiner can undoubtedly feel something's...off.  Mew's initial reactions alone were...odd.  And...is she actually a little like her old self again, however insignificantly?  And why the heck would Dragonstrike go to all the trouble to do...this?  Besides looking unnecessarily flashy, anyways...

What is going on here?  Reiner's still not entirely sure...if there's one thing he doesn't want to do, it's make a wrong step right now...

Well then...better dust myself off and continue on, stoic as always.

"Well, that was to be expected, I suppose.  Never been one for outside help if it wasn't obviously from Reiner or Taylor...I wouldn't recommend you try that again, though, Weavile. Conversely, I won't be needing to do the same, so you needn't worry about that.  To answer your question, I'm here to help.  The Cat's Paw will undoubtedly serve you well in the times ahead, and having a more...unique voice should help with making yourself heard when it's most important.  But one reason I'm here, yet not the main one.  I'm primarily here to help Reiner out of this sticky situation he's found himself in, and to do so more...directly this time, shall we say."

Reiner narrows his eyes at me.  "...what the hell are you talking about?  I thought you weren't into the whole 'interfering' thing.  Weavile, just...stand down for a moment and hear him out, please."

I look at Weavile with utmost seriousness.  "...are we going to continue to have trust issues that will require me or another being to send you back to your reality early?  Or do you want to learn exactly why Reiner's been so down in the dumps and making odd decisions lately while it's still relatively safe to do so?"

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"...Weavile...be careful what you do in this place...I don't think this is a time to be fighting amongst ourselves...you heard Mew...lots of mean stuff that could simply just waltz in here and eradicate us if we catch their attention..."

Reiner can undoubtedly feel something's...off.  Mew's initial reactions alone were...odd.  And...is she actually a little like her old self again, however insignificantly?  And why the heck would Dragonstrike go to all the trouble to do...this?  Besides looking unnecessarily flashy, anyways...

What is going on here?  Reiner's still not entirely sure...if there's one thing he doesn't want to do, it's make a wrong step right now...

Well then...better dust myself off and continue on, stoic as always.

"Well, that was to be expected, I suppose.  Never been one for outside help if it wasn't obviously from Reiner or Taylor...I wouldn't recommend you try that again, though, Weavile.  Conversely, I won't be needing to do the same, so you needn't worry about that.  To answer your question, I'm here to help.  The Cat's Paw will undoubtedly serve you well in the times ahead, and having a more...unique voice should help with making yourself heard when it's most important.  But one reason I'm here, yet not the main one.  I'm primarily here to help Reiner out of this sticky situation he's found himself in, and to do so more...directly this time, shall we say."

Reiner narrows his eyes at me.  "...what the hell are you talking about?  I thought you weren't into the whole 'interfering' thing.  Weavile, just...stand down for a moment and hear him out, please."

I look at Weavile with utmost seriousness.  "...are we going to continue to have trust issues that will require me or another being to send you back to your reality early?  Or do you want to learn exactly why Reiner's been so down in the dumps and making odd decisions lately while it's still relatively safe to do so?"

The cat burglar looked briefly taken aback at your warning, before he heaved an aggravated *Sigh* and lett out a irritated growl of accent and eased up just ever so slightly. Well, not before shooting a mildly irritated look to the semi-sociopathic Mythic in question for her doomsaying, to which she almost ignored, save for a half heart shrug that suggested the idea 'Just stating what's true.' He was quick to resume glaring at you full force once more soon after you resumed speaking, not looking the least bit impressed or grateful with your generous gift. Sure, acquiring the ability to speak and call upon the Moves of his partners was to put it simply great, it didn't mean that he liked having it forcibly thrust upon him, least of all by 'someone' he now barely tolerated due to their 'helpfulness' and their seemingly almighty status....

When the you started pressuring him to fully stand down and cease his hostilities, he snapped his head at you and gave a look of pure disbelief, as he could scarcely understand why you wanted to cooperate with that......man after he screwed with ALL of them so much. Usually, you were MUCH more gung ho about those that tried to exert undue influence on you and your own, so seeing you almost immediately capitulate without hardly any strife toward them was......odd.

Your subsequent follow up managed to drag his attention away from his childhood buddy, the sly feline looking at you with narrowed eyes as you issued your ultimative . To say he was displeased with it would be a understatement for a number of reasons, but he didn't try to attack you again for it. In fact, he didn't do anything for the longest time but stare at you, long enough for even Mew to quirk an eyebrow in mild intrigue .

".......Fine."

At least he smoothly spoke, crossing one arm on his chest and using the other to Assist in his speaking, his experssion cool and hard as they Ice Element he wields.


".....But let us be clear on one thing, Dragonstrike: I'm not cooperating with you just because you 'asked'. Heck, I'm not even doing it because my partner asked me too."

The black panther swept his arm to the floor, now dawning a fang scowl.

"No, I'm doing so for my partner's shake, and because you are giving me no other choice. No other choice but to suck up , shut up, and play this little game of yours, instead of giving you another nice cold knuckle sandwich. Because that what's this all boils down to you, isn't it? A game. Our lives, our perils, our personal histories......its all something you can toy and tease with all you like. Like me, with a helpless Rattata. Right?"

He goes silent as he posed that question at you, before scoffing and waved you off before you could answer.

"Don't bother answering, 'cause I know the truth. Took me this long to understand it, but now that I do its all become so bloody clear to me. Hmpt....you claim that I have trust issue, like its so unreasonable. How can I not, though, with you guys trying to control us just like those damn Elders."

Spitting out those words with utmost contempt, he goes quiet again, this time crossing both arms to indicate he was done speaking with you, and paced back over to his partner's side, eyes now closed as he tried his best to calm himself. Meanwhile, Mew was no longer passively floating in the background, but now staring intently at Weavile, her body and tail stiff as boards. You could feel her intensely scrutinizing him, with only faint whsps of surprise, alarm, and unease hinting at the reason why she was so focused on him... 

Eventually, the pink fuzzball pulled her gaze away from her fellow feline and resumed her prior activity, giving you a rather.....subdued look of impatience.

'.....Now that has been handled, can we move on to the main reason why you summoned us here, Dragonstrike? I believe we've dawdled long past the point of amusement, so let us just cut to the chase.'

[Dragonstrike]

"...you can criticize my methods all you like, Weavile, but it doesn't change the fact that my goal is to help you and Reiner with those little problems of yours.  Elders included, among...other things.  One of them being something that has been a thorn in both Reiner's side and mine ever since they were introduced and started causing additional trouble."

I look at Reiner, and he knows what I'm talking about.

"...so you're not fond of them either, huh?  Then what do you propose we do about them?  Can't destroy them, can't leave 'em somewhere and forget about them..."

"...actually, they can be destroyed."

"...what?"

I look at Reiner as he stares back in surprise.

"...oh Dragon Gods, you're not kidding..."

"Indeed.  What I'm referring to, Weavile, is what's known as the Cursed Arms.  18 powerful weapons capable of felling even Legendaries.  Reiner has 3 of them in his possession, Arial has another, and there's a fifth hidden somewhere in the NRF...plus two more in the hands of an entity you do not want to meet but is very interested in meeting you, provided she can track you down.  It is a burden that neither I nor he wishes to be involved in."

"How to destroy the Cursed Arms and remove the majority of those concerns from your lives is simple.  All you'll need to do is leave them behind in the NRF...and then nuke it with Mew's Genesis Supernova.  You already have the Mewnium Z and the knowledge of how to trigger the move.  Alexandria being present even gives you a good enough excuse to leave the place early without cluing Lindworm into the existence of those weapons.  He'll have to learn of Reiner's connection to Mew in the process, but I've already discussed that with Mew, so it should be a simple thing to sort out."

"There is ONE snag you'll have to sort out, and that's how you get out of the quarantine zone without the National Guard bringing you in for questioning.  Do that, though, and it could be a perfect way to vanish without anyone knowing."

"...and you're certain this will work?"

"One-hundred percent.  Both I and you want nothing to do with the Cursed Arms for any longer than necessary.  Especially after they indirectly caused Clair's demise, something that should not have occurred..."

Silence in the absolute, sterile stillness...




"...and that's all you came here to tell us?"

I nod.  "Yes, that's all.  I'll send you back to your world now so you can get on with simplifying your lives a little.  You'll have to talk to Arial about T.P.K., but that should be a relatively simple affair.  If he does not hand it over...well, either you can take it from him, or you can let him face the consequences of keeping a Cursed Arm alone.  Now then, without further ado..."

*snap*

Except that's not the sound of me snapping my fingers to return them to their world.

"..wait, what was...?"

Behind me is the image of another world, another time...it doesn't look like any world Reiner and co. would recognize.  It's definitely still a world with pokemon, but there's something...different about it.

There's no time to ponder what, though.  With another *snap* another image of another world suddenly appears.  And then another.  And another.  One of them pictures what's unmistakably Mt. Coronet in some dimension or other.  All next to each other, but still separate. 

Until the boundaries between them begin to blur slightly.

"...damn it, this is THEIR doing, isn't it?"  I turn to Reiner and co. to deliver one last message.  "Your world is safe.  This won't affect your stories.  That is for another time, another place...another group of travelers.  You need to leave now, though, or you might not be able to return.  Something is coming, and you don't want to be here when it arrives, lest it wrest you into another dimension."

With a *clap* of my hands, a doorway back to their world appears behind them.

"Leave when you're ready, but do not linger.  When you return to your world, it will be as if nothing had changed, minus the new knowledge you are armed with. I bid you adieu for now, my friends.  May your stories end happily."

And then I vanish, as if dust in wind.

Reiner has a bad, bad feeling about those images of other worlds blending together.  "...we should probably heed that advice.  Quickly.  Everyone ready to end this little excursion to the NRF?"




[What I did not say is that they will not retain the memory of the boundaries of other worlds blending together.  That knowledge is...a slight tease for the test game I have in mind. No need for the characters in this campaign to worry about that.] 

[Spiritmon]

Spoiler

"...you can criticize my methods all you like, Weavile, but it doesn't change the fact that my goal is to help you and Reiner with those little problems of yours.  Elders included, among...other things.  One of them being something that has been a thorn in both Reiner's side and mine ever since they were introduced and started causing additional trouble."

I look at Reiner, and he knows what I'm talking about.

"...so you're not fond of them either, huh?  Then what do you propose we do about them?  Can't destroy them, can't leave 'em somewhere and forget about them..."

"...actually, they can be destroyed."

"...what?"

I look at Reiner as he stares back in surprise.

"...oh Dragon Gods, you're not kidding..."

"Indeed.  What I'm referring to, Weavile, is what's known as the Cursed Arms.  18 powerful weapons capable of felling even Legendaries.  Reiner has 3 of them in his possession, Arial has another, and there's a fifth hidden somewhere in the NRF...plus two more in the hands of an entity you do not want to meet but is very interested in meeting you, provided she can track you down.  It is a burden that neither I nor he wishes to be involved in."

"How to destroy the Cursed Arms and remove the majority of those concerns from your lives is simple.  All you'll need to do is leave them behind in the NRF...and then nuke it with Mew's Genesis Supernova.  You already have the Mewnium Z and the knowledge of how to trigger the move.  Alexandria being present even gives you a good enough excuse to leave the place early without cluing Lindworm into the existence of those weapons.  He'll have to learn of Reiner's connection to Mew in the process, but I've already discussed that with Mew, so it should be a simple thing to sort out."

"There is ONE snag you'll have to sort out, and that's how you get out of the quarantine zone without the National Guard bringing you in for questioning.  Do that, though, and it could be a perfect way to vanish without anyone knowing."

"...and you're certain this will work?"

"One-hundred percent.  Both I and you want nothing to do with the Cursed Arms for any longer than necessary.  Especially after they indirectly caused Clair's demise, something that should not have occurred..."

Silence in the absolute, sterile stillness...




"...and that's all you came here to tell us?"

I nod.  "Yes, that's all.  I'll send you back to your world now so you can get on with simplifying your lives a little.  You'll have to talk to Arial about T.P.K., but that should be a relatively simple affair.  If he does not hand it over...well, either you can take it from him, or you can let him face the consequences of keeping a Cursed Arm alone.  Now then, without further ado..."

*snap*

Except that's not the sound of me snapping my fingers to return them to their world.

"..wait, what was...?"

Behind me is the image of another world, another time...it doesn't look like any world Reiner and co. would recognize.  It's definitely still a world with pokemon, but there's something...different about it.

There's no time to ponder what, though.  With another *snap* another image of another world suddenly appears.  And then another.  And another.  One of them pictures what's unmistakably Mt. Coronet in some dimension or other.  All next to each other, but still separate. 

Until the boundaries between them begin to blur slightly.

"...damn it, this is THEIR doing, isn't it?"  I turn to Reiner and co. to deliver one last message.  "Your world is safe.  This won't affect your stories.  That is for another time, another place...another group of travelers.  You need to leave now, though, or you might not be able to return.  Something is coming, and you don't want to be here when it arrives, lest it wrest you into another dimension."

With a *clap* of my hands, a doorway back to their world appears behind them.

"Leave when you're ready, but do not linger.  When you return to your world, it will be as if nothing had changed, minus the new knowledge you are armed with. I bid you adieu for now, my friends.  May your stories end happily."

And then I vanish, as if dust in wind.

Reiner has a bad, bad feeling about those images of other worlds blending together.  "...we should probably heed that advice.  Quickly.  Everyone ready to end this little excursion to the NRF?"




[What I did not say is that they will not retain the memory of the boundaries of other worlds blending together.  That knowledge is...a slight tease for the test game I have in mind.   No need for the characters in this campaign to worry about that.] 

[FINALLY! It was about time to finish this story once and for all]



"ABOUT DAMN TIME REINER!" Say Arial loud to Reiner. "Man, you take a lot of time to finish that conversation inside of that room Reiner. Its almost like you was there for weeks! I almost die in boring here!" Say Arial with his familiar impatience and irritate style of talk. "I ready when you are boss to finish up this mission."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"...you can criticize my methods all you like, Weavile, but it doesn't change the fact that my goal is to help you and Reiner with those little problems of yours.  Elders included, among...other things.  One of them being something that has been a thorn in both Reiner's side and mine ever since they were introduced and started causing additional trouble."


I look at Reiner, and he knows what I'm talking about.

"...so you're not fond of them either, huh?  Then what do you propose we do about them?  Can't destroy them, can't leave 'em somewhere and forget about them..."

"...actually, they can be destroyed."

"...what?"

I look at Reiner as he stares back in surprise.

"...oh Dragon Gods, you're not kidding..."


"Indeed.  What I'm referring to, Weavile, is what's known as the Cursed Arms.  18 powerful weapons capable of felling even Legendaries.  Reiner has 3 of them in his possession, Arial has another, and there's a fifth hidden somewhere in the NRF...plus two more in the hands of an entity you do not want to meet but is very interested in meeting you, provided she can track you down.  It is a burden that neither I nor he wishes to be involved in."

(...)

And then I vanish, as if dust in wind.

Reiner has a bad, bad feeling about those images of other worlds blending together.  "...we should probably heed that advice.  Quickly.  Everyone ready to end this little excursion to the NRF?"


[What I did not say is that they will not retain the memory of the boundaries of other worlds blending together.  That knowledge is...a slight tease for the test game I have in mind.   No need for the characters in this campaign to worry about that.] 

For the most part, Weavile didn't deign to react to your response on his criticism, instead focusing on maintaining his renewed aloof/icy demeanor, but you could tell he was listening. Mew, meanwhile, started grower tenser as the Cursed Arms were allude to, her tail twitches beginning to speed up incrementally as you spoke, until she went still as you dropped the bombshell. Even after knowing about that for so long [Relatively speaking], hearing that she could rid the world of some of the abominable Cursed Arms was something that was still a mind/body numbing realization. Which, considering her near emotionless status......yeah, its BIG news to cope with.

She recovered quickly enough, though, and seeing that you were in your own state of shock over the news, closed her eyes and let out a small *Sigh* , before nodding her head.

'...Yes, he isn't. I still have my doubts over whether or not that plan will work how we believe it will, however. Every Legendary and Mythical Pokemon at one point or another has  tried to eradicate the Curse Arms from existence, and that include myself and Arceas herself, but to utterly no avail. More over, its Windos that is enabling this plan of ours, and......they no doubt already have a sundry of machinations in place to account for this, subvert it entirely, or......whatever suits their fancy. So forgive me Dragonstrike if I remain skeptical about me....blasting the Cursed Arms to smithereens.'

'*Sighs* .....Still, if there is even the most slim of chance that this will work......I will take it. Even if it means having to use Genesis Supernova to psychically nuke the NRF, and us having dealing with the ramifications of that decision. Though I believe not one of us will be 'unhappy' to be rid of the place in the most permanent of ways, so that is a side benefit of all this.'

And that's all the semi-sociopathic Mythic had to say on the subject. It was now abundantly clear why she was so 'abnormally' anxious or 'overly' emotional, as having the chance to get rid of some of the most despised items in all of creation when their was none before would shake just about any Legendary/Mythic up. Perhaps in this case its a blessing that the pink panther's feelings were neutered, since who know how'd she react without clinical calmness or logic preserving her...

The black cat burgler pretended that what you said didn't ruffle his feathers in the slightest, but in reality learning about the Cursed Arms in full detail was a......unnerving revelation, to say the least. Your allusion to Alice also sent shivers down his spine, as if someone broke out in a tap dance on his grave. He didn't know who in the heck this lass was, but if her mere mention was enough to give HIM, an Ice type, chills....nope, he wanted nothing to do with her!

(...)

When......that happened and your extra-dimensional entity turned doppleganger just stopped existing, the sly feline uncrossed his arms and let out the breath breath he was holding, muttering something that sound like "Good riddance...." under his breath. The Divine Pinkness herself seemed to relax marginally, though she seemed/felt more Alert now than ever, paradoxically enough.

'Indeed. Let us be done with that Neo Nuclear Disaster waiting to happen, and.......hopefully along with those vile Cursed Arms as well. *Sighs* ....Assuming we can force Arial to hand his over, of course. I'll let you handle that matter, while I marshal my Strength to.......utilize Genesis Supernova.'

"...Yeah, let's get outa here. Sooner we finish all this crazy business of yours, the sooner we can get back to our criminal lives - which I for one would be more than happy to resume. If you ask me, I say this Flower Festival has been too festive, and that's saying something consider all our......past going ons. *Shakes head* Bah.....what a mess this week has been...."

Understatement of the century right there, Weavile.

All that said, you all take your leave from White Space Betix.......

......and promptly find yourself exactly where you were before Dragonstrike whisked you away, only this time Mew and Weavile were out alongside you. The Dark thief wrinkled his nose in distaste at the nauseating smell of dead body, chemical, and faint radiation mixed in the air, before he tugged on your leg and motioned to his Pokeball, a clear indication he wanted to be recalled. The unsympathetic kitten hovered over your shoulder, eyes closed tightly, as if she were intensely concentrating on something. 

Alexandria.....she did a double take, as from her perspective Weavile and Mew just spontaneously appeared in front of her, causing her to look at them in disbelief before doing the same to you.

"Uh......I am seeing things, or did - "

.....aaaand she was violently startled out of her dialogue + train of thought when Arial began raising hell. Lindworm was swift to shush them and give a stern, terse scolding about making a racket in a place crawling with savage, man eating and radioactive monster, but not in time for you and the minotuaress to hear the mad man's full message.

*Rolls*

Fortunately, no Corrupted Nuclear Pokemon come to investigate all the noise he was making. Whew, what a relief!

[......Hm, it appears I still remember the events you were refering too, Dragonstrike. *Shrugs* Not that is matters, as what you do with your own universe is hardly my concern, nor do I want it to be. *Sighs* .....Just be a better caretaker of it than Windos, and learn from his mistakes so that you do not end up repeating them yourself.....]

[Normally I'd be slightly amused and offended with what you said Mew, but in this case I believe you have a point, and a very strong one at that. Anyway, things are about to be wrapped up and a bow placed on top, so get everything that needs to be taken care of in the NRF speedily completed. We all want to be done with this ASAP, so let's get kick things into high gear mates!]

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

......and promptly find yourself exactly where you were before Dragonstrike whisked you away, only this time Mew and Weavile were out alongside you. The Dark thief wrinkled his nose in distaste at the nauseating smell of dead body, chemical, and faint radiation mixed in the air, before he tugged on your leg and motioned to his Pokeball, a clear indication he wanted to be recalled. The unsympathetic kitten hovered over your shoulder, eyes closed tightly, as if she were intensely concentrating on something. 

Alexandria.....she did a double take, as from her perspective Weavile and Mew just spontaneously appeared in front of her, causing her to look at them in disbelief before doing the same to you.

"Uh......I am seeing things, or did - "

.....aaaand she was violently startled out of her dialogue + train of thought when Arial began raising hell. Lindworm was swift to shush them and give a stern, terse scolding about making a racket in a place crawling with savage, man eating and radioactive monster, but not in time for you and the minotuaress to hear the mad man's full message.

*Rolls*

Fortunately, no Corrupted Nuclear Pokemon come to investigate all the noise he was making. Whew, what a relief!

[......Hm, it appears I still remember the events you were refering too, Dragonstrike. *Shrugs* Not that is matters, as what you do with your own universe is hardly my concern, nor do I want it to be. *Sighs* .....Just be a better caretaker of it than Windos, and learn from his mistakes so that you do not end up repeating them yourself.....]

[Normally I'd be slightly amused and offended with what you said Mew, but in this case I believe you have a point, and a very strong one at that. Anyway, things are about to be wrapped up and a bow placed on top, so get everything that needs to be taken care of in the NRF speedily completed. We all want to be done with this ASAP, so let's get kick things into high gear mates!]

[Well, I figured you'd possibly be an exception to that, Mew, given you can always reread the threads.  As you said, though, not that it particularly matters atm.  So, let's start wrapping this story up...]

Reiner looks at the (still closed) door and sighs, recalls Weavile (who hasn't said a word since returning), then back at Alexandria.

"Apologies for that.  So, back to your earlier point...there is one thing we could do that would allow us to leave this location early and as soon as possible.  And if I'm being completely honest...Mew and I are more than willing to do it, too.    All we have to do is get far, far away from this building...and then Mew can nuke the building with her most powerful attack, razing it and completely annihilating everything within.  Would save a lot of time and danger, so long as there's nothing in here we actually wish to retrieve before destroying the place.  Speaking of my mythical partner, by the way...Alexandria, meet Mew."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Reiner looks at the (still closed) door and sighs, recalls Weavile (who hasn't said a word since returning), then back at Alexandria.

"Apologies for that.  So, back to your earlier point...there is one thing we could do that would allow us to leave this location early and as soon as possible.  And if I'm being completely honest...Mew and I are more than willing to do it, too.    All we have to do is get far, far away from this building...and then Mew can nuke the building with her most powerful attack, razing it and completely annihilating everything within.  Would save a lot of time and danger, so long as there's nothing in here we actually wish to retrieve before destroying the place.  Speaking of my mythical partner, by the way...Alexandria, meet Mew."

Mew doesn't bother reacting to the introduction, and continues to hone/concentrate her power. The bullish researcher, however, could only gawk at the now casually revealed Mythical.

 "That is.....Mew? The Progenitor of all Pokemon....? The one who.......revived me? .....Oh my." 

Then he brain caught up and recalled what you just said, and promptly resumed gawking at you with no small amount of trepidation.

".....We can vacate the NRF immediately.......if Mew blows up the NRF? That's.......a bit excessive, isn't it? I.....I know this place is all but a.....lost cause, but just........destroying ..... All the research, all the inventions and ground breaking discoveries made, all the progress made towards clean, safe Nuclear energy.......will just be gone. Gone. Then their's that........person in the Clinic. While I......would love to see them pay for their cruel selfishness, I don't......I don't think I want them to die now. Not after.....like......"

She falls silent, curling in on herself and straining the fabric of her lab coat/cloths even more. Hm.....a complication, but it doesn't like like it would be too hard to overcome it, given how.......vulnerable the minotauress is currently.