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

[Lord Windos]

"Well, you're certainly a light sleeper.  Though I suppose sleeping in this place for an extended period of time would do that to a person, with or without the discomfort from the lack of a proper bed and sufficiently spacey living areas.  And to answer your question, Alexandria, yes, help has arrived.  Though we're probably not who you were expecting to turn up."  

Reiner heads to the door and talks through it much like Lindworm just did.

"Everything's clear in here, Lindworm.  Found a survivor.  Give us a sec, though.  Go check on Arial in the meantime.  Or keep watch."

He turns back to Alexandria, waiting to see how she initially reacts to the same realizations as stated previously...

"...Ah....ah....ah."

Alexandria tried to say something, but was currently too shell shocked/tongue tied to do anything more than just stammer and almost vacantly stare at you, her hands now lowered to her lap.

Figuring that she needed a bit more time to collect herself before she could make a proper response, you head over to the door and convey your message to Lindworm. You notice out of the corner of your eye her head swivels around to track your moment, though, so she wasn't completely bereft of sense.

"*Sighs* That is good. For a moment I though that - wait, what? A.....survivor? By the Dragon Gods, you found one?! Oh my! Yes yes, take as much time as you need! I'll go check on Arial in the - "

He was interrupted by the very madman himself strolling up and....being himself, and you could hear the stunned silence it left them in, before he let out a *Sigh* and facepalmed (Though you obviously didn't see him do the later).

"....Thank you Arial, but you keep them. I bought plenty of Iodine Tablets from Survival Kings before coming here, so reserve these for your own use instead. Dragon God knows we need all the help we can get..."

Hearing yet ANOTHER person speak up seemed to partially snap the bullish woman out of her trance, as she began to stutter, hands now tightly clasped together as she wrung them and continued to stare.

".....Y-You....p-part of a-a.....r-rescue team? W-When d-did you....a-all a-arrive? H-How did y-you know....t-to come? C-Communication w-were all cut, and.....*Shakes head, and closes eyes* N-no....not important r-right now. *Opens them* H-How d-did you get I-in here s-so quietly? W-we barred the door, s-so....s-so I would h-have heard y-you f-force it open, a-and w-woken up sooner?"

Well, she has a lot of questions, and all of them perfectly relevant too. How to go about answering them....

[Spiritmon]

"Well, your choice them." Arial guard the Iodines tablets. But at the same time he search his bag until he find a burrito, and begin to eat it. He look to Lindworm. "What? Be in almost death situations open a big hole in stomach. I hungry for quite a while. Wanna a snack?"

...Talking about someone with dead hungry I guess?

[Lord Windos]

...Lindworm is left speechless by your sheer irreverence to the seriousness of the situation. You can't see his expression, due to the helmet he's wearing, but you get the strong feeling he's staring at you like your some fine piece of work....

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

"...Ah....ah....ah."

Alexandria tried to say something, but was currently too shell shocked/tongue tied to do anything more than just stammer and almost vacantly stare at you, her hands now lowered to her lap.

Figuring that she needed a bit more time to collect herself before she could make a proper response, you head over to the door and convey your message to Lindworm. You notice out of the corner of your eye her head swivels around to track your moment, though, so she wasn't completely bereft of sense.

"*Sighs* That is good. For a moment I though that - wait, what? A.....survivor? By the Dragon Gods, you found one?! Oh my! Yes yes, take as much time as you need! I'll go check on Arial in the - "

He was interrupted by the very madman himself strolling up and....being himself, and you could hear the stunned silence it left them in, before he let out a *Sigh* and facepalmed (Though you obviously didn't see him do the later).

"....Thank you Arial, but you keep them. I bought plenty of Iodine Tablets from Survival Kings before coming here, so reserve these for your own use instead. Dragon God knows we need all the help we can get..."

Hearing yet ANOTHER person speak up seemed to partially snap the bullish woman out of her trance, as she began to stutter, hands now tightly clasped together as she wrung them and continued to stare.

".....Y-You....p-part of a-a.....r-rescue team? W-When d-did you....a-all a-arrive? H-How did y-you know....t-to come? C-Communication w-were all cut, and.....*Shakes head, and closes eyes* N-no....not important r-right now. *Opens them* H-How d-did you get I-in here s-so quietly? W-we barred the door, s-so....s-so I would h-have heard y-you f-force it open, a-and w-woken up sooner?"

Well, she has a lot of questions, and all of them perfectly relevant too. How to go about answering them....

"Arial, be quiet for a minute and stand watch.  Don't need any disturbances right now."

Well then, back to Alexandria and the questions she's posing...

"Not quite a rescue team, but you could say that's one reason we're here even though it's not the main one.  We arrived about...two and a half hours ago.  I'd received intel from one of my incredibly skilled informants that there was something nefarious going on in this research facility, and that it wasn't as mothballed as everyone thought it was.  National Guard's struggling to keep the Nuclear types contained.  Decided to pay the place a visit to try and deal with the root of the problem since the NG can't seem to or won't try to do so themselves.  We're a small group of three, but we're not dead yet, thankfully."

Now then, as for the more relevant questions...

"Didn't force open anything.  Found a key card in the main lobby.  Door was unbarred as well.  Morphine overdoses are dangerous things, as I'm sure you're well aware.  The fact that I'm even speaking with you face-to-face at all is nothing short of a miracle."

Reiner pulls up a chair.  "No doubt you have further questions, and I'll do my best to answer them, but I need to ask you to remain as calm as you can.  Some of the answers aren't going to be pretty, and freaking out in this place would be ill-advised, as I'm sure you're aware.  The cafeteria is completely overrun with nasty critters, and I'd rather not attract their attention."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"Arial, be quiet for a minute and stand watch.  Don't need any disturbances right now."

Well then, back to Alexandria and the questions she's posing...

"Not quite a rescue team, but you could say that's one reason we're here even though it's not the main one.  We arrived about...two and a half hours ago.  I'd received intel from one of my incredibly skilled informants that there was something nefarious going on in this research facility, and that it wasn't as mothballed as everyone thought it was.  National Guard's struggling to keep the Nuclear types contained.  Decided to pay the place a visit to try and deal with the root of the problem since the NG can't seem to or won't try to do so themselves.  We're a small group of three, but we're not dead yet, thankfully."

Now then, as for the more relevant questions...
"Didn't force open anything.  Found a key card in the main lobby.  Door was unbarred as well.  Morphine overdoses are dangerous things, as I'm sure you're well aware.  The fact that I'm even speaking with you face-to-face at all is nothing short of a miracle."

Reiner pulls up a chair.  "No doubt you have further questions, and I'll do my best to answer them, but I need to ask you to remain as calm as you can.  Some of the answers aren't going to be pretty, and freaking out in this place would be ill-advised, as I'm sure you're aware.  The cafeteria is completely overrun with nasty critters, and I'd rather not attract their attention."

Alexandria, to her credit, seemed to be able to easily follow along and digest the fact that you and the party are basically an ad hoc mercenary group picking up the slack from the National Guard, intensely listen, nodding occasionally, and hanging off on your every word while not commenting for the most part. She did interrupt you once during your briefing, looking rather annoyed/huffy despite still adjusting to the reality of actually being saved.

"The NRF is not conducting or engaging in any 'nefarious' research, sir. Just because our facility main focus is.....was investigating and experiment with Nuclear Power and energy did not make it and everyone working here a mad scientist bent of global devastation, like that damn CURIE. Honestly, they've given such a horrible name to Nuclear Research that the NRF was forced to continue operations quietly, lest the fearful and ignorant public start forming fearmongering mobs and persecute me and my fellow researchers...."

"*Huffs*…Sorry about going off on a tirade like that, sir. I know I shouldn't have taken it out on you, but I'm so sick and tired of the stigma that follows my profession, and....the constant stress that the Outbreak has engendered in me...got to me for a moment. Please, continue...."

Your next few answers, however, serve only to confuse the bullish woman, causing her to look at you disbelievingly.

"What? No, that's impossible. Not getting a Keycard - I don't doubt you.....found it on the remains of one of staff here, after you gained access to the Entrance - but the door and being drugged. I-I don't remembering disassembling the barricade last night, and...and I definitely don't remembering......overdosing on Morphine, so those can't be the case. *Looks down* T-That was only s-supposed to be a....last resort, if I...couldn't....handle...it, like the....others."

You almost didn't catch her muttering that last part, as she stared at lap and squeezed her hands even harder together, avoiding you gaze and shrinking in on herself, as if not to be judged.

She 'perks' back up when you drag a chair over and asked for her to remain calm for upcoming revelations, to which at first she could only stare at you frowning for a few second, before she let out a *Snort* and her expression became....grim as she shares that smile with you, which is just as ghastly now as you say it the first time.

"Yes, I am. More so than you, as a matter of fact, though that is not something to brag about. After....living through almost three weeks of this.....hell, one learns to become.....numb to the horrors, and inured to the....stress. Freaking out is entirely counterproductive, and only serves to attract.....unwanted attention, and causes people to make....ill advised decisions. Those that managed to evade being hunted down by the....specimens didn't learn how to cope, or couldn't anymore....."

The minotauress pauses at this point, her gaze becoming cast in shadow as she languidly motioned to her....colleges.

"Well, that speaks for, doesn't it? Or....it doesn't, really."

Surprisingly, a few chuckles bubble up from the Researcher, but they are dark and humorless, like a tar pit.

"...If only they held out, just a little longer, if Chris hadn't come up with that stupid, stupid idea...."

She morosely whispers that under her breath, though you easily pick it up, due to you heavily scrutinizing her condition. A few seconds later, she resumes speaking,  ceasing that hideous smile and mellowing out somewhat, her tone returning to its default mode: clinical, bookish, but affable enough.

"....Sorry about that. As I was....alluding to, I believe I am capable of handling any gruesome or bizarre truth now, no matter how.....extreme they might be. So long as its possible to happen, anyway. Regardless, I really only have one pressing question right now, and the rest can be sorted out at a later, more convenient time: When can your team and myself escape the NRF? Soon, I hope, but let me here your answer first before we start going off on tangents."

Straight to the point, she is. Refreshing, normally, but maybe not so in this case...

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Alexandria, to her credit, seemed to be able to easily follow along and digest the fact that you and the party are basically an ad hoc mercenary group picking up the slack from the National Guard, intensely listen, nodding occasionally, and hanging off on your every word while not commenting for the most part. She did interrupt you once during your briefing, looking rather annoyed/huffy despite still adjusting to the reality of actually being saved.

"The NRF is not conducting or engaging in any 'nefarious' research, sir. Just because our facility main focus is.....was investigating and experiment with Nuclear Power and energy did not make it and everyone working here a mad scientist bent of global devastation, like that damn CURIE. Honestly, they've given such a horrible name to Nuclear Research that the NRF was forced to continue operations quietly, lest the fearful and ignorant public start forming fearmongering mobs and persecute me and my fellow researchers...."

"*Huffs*…Sorry about going off on a tirade like that, sir. I know I shouldn't have taken it out on you, but I'm so sick and tired of the stigma that follows my profession, and....the constant stress that the Outbreak has engendered in me...got to me for a moment. Please, continue...."

Your next few answers, however, serve only to confuse the bullish woman, causing her to look at you disbelievingly.

"What? No, that's impossible. Not getting a Keycard - I don't doubt you.....found it on the remains of one of staff here, after you gained access to the Entrance - but the door and being drugged. I-I don't remembering disassembling the barricade last night, and...and I definitely don't remembering......overdosing on Morphine, so those can't be the case. *Looks down* T-That was only s-supposed to be a....last resort, if I...couldn't....handle...it, like the....others."

You almost didn't catch her muttering that last part, as she stared at lap and squeezed her hands even harder together, avoiding you gaze and shrinking in on herself, as if not to be judged.

She 'perks' back up when you drag a chair over and asked for her to remain calm for upcoming revelations, to which at first she could only stare at you frowning for a few second, before she let out a *Snort* and her expression became....grim as she shares that smile with you, which is just as ghastly now as you say it the first time.

"Yes, I am. More so than you, as a matter of fact, though that is not something to brag about. After....living through almost three weeks of this.....hell, one learns to become.....numb to the horrors, and inured to the....stress. Freaking out is entirely counterproductive, and only serves to attract.....unwanted attention, and causes people to make....ill advised decisions. Those that managed to evade being hunted down by the....specimens didn't learn how to cope, or couldn't anymore....."

The minotauress pauses at this point, her gaze becoming cast in shadow as she languidly motioned to her....colleges.

"Well, that speaks for, doesn't it? Or....it doesn't, really."

Surprisingly, a few chuckles bubble up from the Researcher, but they are dark and humorless, like a tar pit.

"..If only they held out, just a little longer, if Chris hadn't come up with that stupid idea....

She morosely whispers that under her breath, though you easily pick it up, due to you heavily scrutinizing her condition. A few seconds later, she resumes speaking,  ceasing that hideous smile and mellowing out somewhat, her tone returning to its default mode: clinical, bookish, but affable enough.

"....Sorry about that. As I was....alluding to, I believe I am capable of handling any gruesome or bizarre truth now, no matter how.....extreme they might be. So long as its possible to happen, anyway. Regardless, I really only have one pressing question right now, and the rest can be sorted out at a later, more convenient time: When can your team and myself escape the NRF? Soon, I hope, but let me here your answer first before we start going off on tangents."

Straight to the point, she is. Refreshing, normally, but maybe not so in this case...

"...as I said, a rescue mission isn't our primary goal.  I have very, very good reason to believe that there actually is a mad scientist somewhere in this facility.  Somone bent on creating an ultimate lifeform of some variety.  Considering how this place was seemingly purposely turned into a deathtrap for everyone inside, I think it's safe to say they're using it to keep out unwanted company while they work.  That is what I meant when I said there was something nefarious going on, so I apologize for the misunderstanding."

"As for your memory...being Drugged can do that to you, among...other things.  If you've not noticed, there's an empty morphine bottle and an empty syringe on the floor.  You dropped the syringe when you woke up.  And I found this on your person before you woke."  Reiner pulls out the other Morphine Syringe to show her.  "As I said, it's a miracle that we're even talking right now."

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

"...as I said, a rescue mission isn't our primary goal.  I have very, very good reason to believe that there actually is a mad scientist somewhere in this facility.  Someone bent on creating an ultimate lifeform of some variety.  Considering how this place was seemingly purposely turned into a deathtrap for everyone inside, I think it's safe to say they're using it to keep out unwanted company while they work.  That is what I meant when I said there was something nefarious going on, so I apologize for the misunderstanding."

"As for your memory...being Drugged can do that to you, among...other things.  If you've not noticed, there's an empty morphine bottle and an empty syringe on the floor.  You dropped the syringe when you woke up.  And I found this on your person before you woke."  Reiner pulls out the other Morphine Syringe to show her.  "As I said, it's a miracle that we're even talking right now."

"Oh. Hm...That would neatly put cause and explanation into the how and why the Outbreak occurred, and it's also lines up with my own hypothesis. *Shakes his head* I don't know how a.....ugh, mad scientist managed to infiltrate the NRF, however. The background screening and mental evaluations required to work here are rather.....rigorous, so it should have been impossible for anyone psychotic to gain clearance to work here...."

Alex is left mulling over this for a few seconds, before a look of dawning realization came to her as she though of an answer.


"……Unless the one responsible for all of this was part of the senior staff and administration, or a deep cover espionage operative of some sort. In that case, they'd be capable of circumventing or covering up any.....unsavory on themselves, and have free access to the facility. *Blinks slowly* ….The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the NRF has been stab in the back for the insane, destruction, or both ambitions of one of our own. I had reason to suspect that a saboteur of some kind was responsible for....all of this, but....but its far worse than I thought. Arceas Damn it all. Damn that bastardous, son of a bitch to hell back, whoever it is."

Her face tightens into a scowl as she 'calmly' states this, he fingers almost boaring holes into her coat, and its sleeves threatening to rip open from the strain her muscles flexing tightly against the material. She does de-stress in short order before anything could go awry, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath and snorted it out, before grimacing at you apologetically.

"Nearly lost my temper there. Sorry about that, sir. I'm usually not quick to anger like that, but I guess....the stress and subject matter got to me again. Please, continue."

Hmm...

When you present the evidence that she actually OD, at first she could only gormlessly stare at the syringes and at the empty bottle of morphine, before her eyes shrink into pinpricks and she goes pale as a Soft Sand.

"W-what? B-But.…how? M-Morphine is s-suppose to c-cause only minor memory and...and confusion in large d-doses, n-not full blown amenisa of traumatic events like, like..... I-If I.....and.... should......I don't understand."

Its clear she isn't taking the news well, but she's being remarkably quiet and restrained about it. Guess its a skill she picked out at some point here....

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

"Oh. Hm...That would neatly put cause and explanation into the how and why the Outbreak occurred, and it's also lines up with my own hypothesis. *Shakes his head* I don't know how a.....ugh, mad scientist managed to infiltrate the NRF, however. The background screening and mental evaluations required to work here are rather.....rigorous, so it should have been impossible for anyone psychotic to gain clearance to work here...."

Alex is left mulling over this for a few seconds, before a look of dawning realization came to her as she though of an answer.


"……Unless the one responsible for all of this was part of the senior staff and administration, or a deep cover espionage operative of some sort. In that case, they'd be capable of circumventing or covering up any.....unsavory on themselves, and have free access to the facility. *Blinks slowly* ….The only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the NRF has been stab in the back for the insane, destruction, or both ambitions of one of our own. I had reason to suspect that a saboteur of some kind was responsible for....all of this, but....but its far worse than I thought. Arceas Damn it all. Damn that bastardous, son of a bitch to hell back, whoever it is."

Her face tightens into a scowl as she 'calmly' states this, he fingers almost boaring holes into her coat, and its sleeves threatening to rip open from the strain her muscles flexing tightly against the material. She does de-stress in short order before anything could go awry, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath and snorted it out, before grimacing at you apologetically.

"Nearly lost my temper there. Sorry about that, sir. I'm usually not quick to anger like that, but I guess....the stress and subject matter got to me again. Please, continue."

Hmm...

When you present the evidence that she actually OD, at first she could only gormlessly stare at the syringes and at the empty bottle of morphine, before her eyes shrink into pinpricks and she goes pale as a Soft Sand.

"W-what? B-But.…how? M-Morphine is s-suppose to c-cause only minor memory and...and confusion in large d-doses, n-not full blown amenisa of traumatic events like, like..... I-If I.....and.... should......I don't understand."

Its clear she isn't taking the news well, but she's being remarkably quiet and restrained about it. Guess its a skill she picked out at some point here....

"...I've not even told you the wierdest part yet, if you can believe that.  And I doubt it's news you're going to like, and it probably won't make much sense at first.  Do you need a minute before I continue?"

[Lord Windos]

"...I've not even told you the weirdest part yet, if you can believe that.  And I doubt it's news you're going to like, and it probably won't make much sense at first.  Do you need a minute before I continue?"

Her eyes shrunk to an even smaller size when you mentioned you had stranger news yet to break, until she covered her face with both hands and took a DEEP breath, letting it out with a heavy *Whoosh....* , and slowly shook her head.

"No.....t-tell me all of it now. B-Better for m-me to hear the w-whole story a-at once, a-and get it a-all over with, in-instead of dr-dragging it out. M-maybe then, I-I'll understand w-what the h-hell is g-going on....."

Well, you heard the woman. Lay it on her.

[Dragonstrike]

Her eyes shrunk to an even smaller size when you mentioned you had stranger news yet to break, until she covered her face with both hands and took a DEEP breath, letting it out with a heavy *Whoosh....* , and slowly shook her head.

"No.....t-tell me all of it now. B-Better for m-me to hear the w-whole story a-at once, a-and get it a-all over with, in-instead of dr-dragging it out. M-maybe then, I-I'll understand w-what the h-hell is g-going on....."

Well, you heard the woman. Lay it on her.

"Very well.  Let me preface this by saying it's been around 8 weeks or so since this disaster started.  Yes, you heard that right.  8 weeks.  It should make more sense in a moment."

"Two and a half hours ago, my small group arrived and started searching for the source of the NRF's trouble, as I explained earlier.  The outdoors is primarily host to huge swarms of Nuclear pokemon of varying kinds, but the indoor areas aren't any prettier either.  We discovered the Clinic by the entrance was shut tight, and anyone who'd been caught in the corridors was most certainly dead, and had been for a good while.  That's not really new information, obviously, but it might give you an idea of how much things have or haven't changed in this 5 week time period.  We made our way to this location after scoping out the entrance area."

"We've been splitting up to cover more ground when it seems safe to do so.  The nutritional lab certainly looked like it had been breached, but given how cramped these spaces are, there wasn't likely to be anything super duper extra dangerous in that room.  While my two companions out there investigated the nutritional lab and what was left of the corpses of those unfortunate enough to be in the corridor, I was scoping out this lab that we're in right now."

"...to be blunt, everyone who was in here was dead.  You weren't able to handle the intense pressure of the situation on your own.  Not that I can blame you at all for the decision you made, given the circumstances.  Leaving a video with important information as evidence was a good call on your part.  I don't recommend you watch it back, though.  Back on topic, a certain partner of mine watched that video too, and she...well, took pity on the situation.  Enough that she decided giving you a second chance at life was reasonable, though there were other reasons to justify it as well.  Yes, I know this all seems impossible, given that you're currently alive and healthy.  Fortunately for you, it's not impossible when the person who found you is partners with the Mythical Mew.  She brought you back to life, and here we are.  Now, as for why I'm telling you this instead of perpetuating the illusion that no time has passed at all...well, there's a rather...obvious change that would very quickly dispel the illusion by itself.  Namely...well, you're not quite 'you' as you remember.  If you look at your arms for a second, for example...your skin color has changed and you're much more muscular now.  Mew had to trade the life of a Tauros I had on hand for yours in order to bring you back, so you've taken on some of the traits of the species, horns included. (Reiner points to a spot just above his forehead for emphasis) If that's still not enough to convince you I'm telling the truth, Mew is willing to show herself to you.  She's tired after expending so much effort on a Revival Ritual, but she is more than willing to make an appearance to try and help smooth this explanation over a little.  Memory loss in some form is also a common side effect of being brought back from the dead, though how much usually varies depending on how long you were dead and how you died in the first place."

There's a bit more to explain still, but this is the meat and potatoes of the situation.  The rest will have to wait until Alexandria has reacted to the truth that she was revived from the dead by Mew... (with Mew showing herself as additional proof if necessary)