Phantom Isle - The Haunted Theme Park

[Dark Searchman]

Dark Searchman- The pair of Frillish listen to Hyrem's plan intently, noting that Hyrem himself seems unsure about the strategy he describes. Indeed, he can perceive some substantial flaws already, and sincerely hopes that the Frillish might be able to help him brainstorm a more effective method of tackling the macabre security system guarding the lair. The Frillish, however, do not seem in the mood to keep talking, as the pink Frillish looks behind her fretfully.

"Well, we will have to give it a shot. It won't be long, now... The zombies are bound to figure out that the other Frillish are decoys, and then they'll be after us." The pink Frillish giggles a bit, as if suddenly taken by a pleasant memory. "I used to make cloth dolls for my little sister... It passes the time down here, though material is scarce... often from clothes of corpses and whatnot. Never thought the talent would actually be so use-"

"Frill! Frill Frill-iii!" The Blue Frillish snaps his sister out of her reverie and points to Hyrem's skin, which appears to be turning abnormally pale. Indeed, the transformation has been gradually setting in, which creates yet another time-limiting factor. With the two Frillish resolutely going full speed ahead towards the door, it seems as if Hyrem has no other choice but to enact his original plan, no matter how unsure of it he may be. The Frillish, who seem to know what they are doing from their last attempt at destroying the lair, swim in such a way that the eyes are unable to see them until they are at close range; Hyrem and Delilah follow close behind, not wanting to alert the eyes to their presence. When the pink Frillish finally gives the signal to Delilah, she is able to successfully stun the eyes with a brilliant Flash. The following Shock Wave, which travels surprisingly well in water, is attracted by the conductive ocular decorations and appears to destroy all the eyes on the right side of the wall! The Frillish, working quickly, use their tentacles in a jabbing motion to pop the eyes out of the left side of the wall... Gruesome, but effective, which means that the group was successful in their efforts to disarm the security system at the entrance. The plan worked like a charm; however, would it be that successful in the hallway...?

From inside the entrance, Hyrem and Delilah can see that the hallway is long, dark, dank and cramped. There is, indeed, a light at the end of this tunnel, but the eerie red glow of the illuminated room at the end of the hall doesn't exactly inspire hope in Hyrem or his undersea companions. Though the group cannot see the eyes, based on what is illuminated and the pattern in which the eyeballs are placed, there are probably about 10 pairs of eyes on either side of the wall.

Certainly, Hyrem and Delilah could try and utilize their plan from before, or quickly try and think of a better strategy. The choice is theirs. They have to think quickly, however... Hyrem can feel his own eyes growing weak...

How will Hyrem and Delilah react?

Even though Hyrem had an idea of what to do, he wasn't sure if it would work at all. After all, when you're trying to take out 14 "cameras" at once, you face a pretty tall order.

"Well, we will have to give it a shot," said the pink Frillish, looking behind her. "It won't be long, now... The zombies are bound to figure out that the other Frillish are decoys, and then they'll be after us." She made a very good point. Even if the zombies didn't figure out the other Frillish were decoys, the Pokemon they had were so sinister, it would only be a matter of time before they...

"Frill! Frill Frill-iii!" the blue Frillish called out, pointing at Hyrem's skin.

"Oh no, my skin!" said Hyrem. Oh, this was bad. His skin was starting to turn pale. While they were sitting there trying to come up with ideas, the "process" refused to wait for them. "Darn it, I didn't think it'd be this bad," he cursed. No more waiting around, no more brainstorming. If Hyrem was going to get out of the depths of Mantine Mania alive they just had to go through with the plan, despite whatever flaws there may be. The two Frillish were already moving in, and Hyrem and Delilah followed their path so as to avoid the gaze of the eyes like they did. The pink Frillish gave the signal to start, and Delilah let out a brilliant Flash of light which dazzled all 14 eyes, then destroyed seven of them with the Shock Wave she unleashed from her electrical lures. At the same time, the other seven were quickly stabbed by the two Frillish's tentacles.

"All right!" he whispered in triumph. It actually worked! The entrance was now free of lookers, and they had gained access inside. The hallway, however, was a much different story. There was a light at the end, but red... yeah, that was a sign of the daunting task to come once they got through the hallway... if they got through the hallway... and the 10... maybe 20 eyes on each side that dotted it? Ow, my eyes... Tick tock, tick tock, Hyrem...

"Ow, oh, okay, no time for a new plan, we'll just have to try the same plan again," whispered Hyrem to the three Pokemon beside him. "'Sides, I think it might work, but we'll have to make our attacks more powerful to take out more eyes. Delilah, do the same thing you did before: Flash to stun the eyes, then Shock Wave to take out as many eyes as you can. Frillish, are you going to be able to deal with the rest of them fast enough?" He was twice as much unsure the idea would work here, but at the rate the "process" was working on him, there wasn't any time for second guessing. All Hyrem could do was cross his pale fingers and hope his eyes could stay in their sockets until the Harvester was brought down.

[Itzatrap]

Itzatrap- Rob decides that he would like to get to know this little Patrat better. With a little kindness, perhaps the Patrat would be willing to show Rob and Melantha where it received such a beautiful piece of jewelry. Though the little creature is initially nervous at being directly addressed by Rob, it eventually relaxes upon realizing that the trainer and his Pokemon do not appear to mean any harm. The creature gives a little bow in response to Rob's greeting, and introduces himself in Patrat language, though Rob cannot understand exactly what the creature is saying. Based on Melantha's facial expression, however, Rob can guess that the greeting was a fairly typical one. The Patrat's expression changes when Rob suggests that it ride Mantine Mania with them... The creature shakes its head emphatically, backing up a bit, as if vehemently against the idea of going anywhere near the ride; however, when Rob suggests that the creature take him to where it received its lovely earring, the Patrat seems far more receptive. Now, there was something that the Patrat would love to do! Holding out both of its front paws, the creature speaks in its native language, which Rob once again cannot understand... Thankfully, Melantha demonstrates for Rob, and places her paw in one of the Patrat's hands. The Patrat reaches out to Rob with its other paw, as if expecting Rob to take it. Melantha seems a little suspicious of whatever the Patrat said... Perhaps something about how it could take them to the treasure if the pair are willing to take each of its paws. Whatever it says, Rob now has a choice as to whether or not he will trust this strange little being. Then again, what could a little Patrat possibly do...?

The response of the Patrat to the suggestion of going on the Mantine ride slightly confused Rob, "What could possibly be wrong with the ride...?" No matter, he would eventually find out himself...unless the trainer met some horrible fate on his way to the treasure before he got a chance of course. The second response is what Rob hoped for, as the Patrat extended his paws towards the trainer, speaking Patrat, with the trainer being as confused as he was the first time it tried to communicate with him. Melantha places her paw on the Patrat's paw, to show Rob what the Patrat wants. "Oh, I see, you want me to hold your paw?" The critter holds out his paw for him to take, while Melantha looks a little concerned with the Patrat's request...

"Hmm... Rob decided to take the Patrat's paw, as he would feel bad to ignore its request. Although he would take Melantha's concern into account as well, making sure to be careful on his way. He smiled at the Patrat as he reached for its paw before stopping to ask a question. "I'm sorry Patrat, before I take your paw, and I know it is an odd request, but would it be alright if I squeezed your cheek? I always wanted to squeeze the cheek of a small furry Pokémon like yourself. I understand if you don't want to though..." He could almost see Melantha cover her face in embarrassment and shake her head as he asked the Patrat the question, but hey, at least that would be one more thing off this young trainer's bucket list, although originally he wanted it to be a Mew's cheek, this fellow rodent's would do...

[Balmund]

Balmund- With the risk of hitting the audience being too great to continue using long-ranged attacks, Balmund decides that switching to close combat is the most reasonable option, ordering Durandal to perform a Leer attack before performing some short-range moves. William is visibly crossing his fingers and muttering a quick prayer to himself as Balmund gives his orders, clearly hoping that this strategy will work. Going into entertainment mode, William grins at the audience and follows suit with his own orders to Averil, choosing also to perform a few close-combat moves.

"Well, everyone, it's up to you! Shout out who you think has the scariest Leer... Not that there's any contest, haha! We're gonna follow it up with a Dual Chop, and a wicked Dragon Claw! C'mon, people! Show Averil some love!" Everyone claps and cheers, looking very excited for the dragon's ferocious leer attacks. Some mothers pick up their children in preparation, while others seem to urge their children forward for such an exciting glimpse into the true power of the dragon spirit. The crowd is not disappointed; both Leer attacks frighten and delight the audience, with both Averil and Durandal seeming to receive equal shouts of support. As for the Dusknoir, it is difficult to tell if they have been affected by it, though there was really only one way to find out... Before Averil and Durandal can unleash their attacks, however, the two Dusknoir lurch forward with their respective attacks; the Dusknoir opposite Durandal tries to smash his fist into the dragon's face with a super-effective Ice Punch, but Durandal dodges just in time to barely miss the harrowing attack! The crowd wonders what Durandal could possibly have jerked suddenly for, though they seem to be generally thinking that he was displaying his awesome dodge ability... or maybe that he was intimidated by Averil! The Averil fans in the crowd seem pretty convinced of this theory, at any rate. Meanwhile, the Dusknoir opposite Averil takes advantage of her burned status and comes at her with a nasty Hex, which manages to make contact and do some heavy damage to Averil. Fortunately, the dragon takes the hit like a champ, and the crowd doesn't even seem to notice her pain. Her stoicism is truly impressive, and suggests an incredible amount of training and discipline. Even so, Balmund can sense the pain and fury in her eyes.

Durandal's next move impresses the audience, who feels as if the Shadow Claw was coming right towards them! They seem to have quite a bit of trust in both Balmund and William, whom they appear to be regarding as "professionals" in the art of stunt Pokemon. While that assumption may be entirely untrue, the attack manages to hit its intended target and spare the audience. Certainly, the Dusknoir is in a great deal of pain as a result of the super-effective strike rending through its ghostly body, made only stronger by the previous defense-lowering glare. Durandal seems quite proud of himself for the amazingly-executed move, which has the audience clapping vigorously; however, the Salamence clearly understands that it is too early in the game to give in to such emotions. Averil is similarly successful, with a devastating Dual Chop, both blows smacking the Dusknoir opposite her with incredible force. It seems as if both combatants were fortunate this round. As for the Dusknoir opposite Durandal, his attempt at another Ice Punch, again, results in missing the mark, as the Salamance steps back, attempting to pretend that he is giving himself space for his next awe-inspiring attack. The dodge move works, and is considerably less conspicuous than his first. Meanwhile, the Dusknoir opposite Averil seems similarly cursed by the gods of chance, as its Confuse Ray totally misses the mark; Averil anticipates the attack and closes her eyes just in time to avoid confusion! Talk about a flawless round!

Unfortunately, Durandal's Crunch does not meet with similar results... The Dusknoir phases out of existance just in time, which leaves Durandal crunching a big bite out of one of the food court tables! The young couple sitting at the table yell out in shock, but seem amused at the trick more than anything else. Of course, the food court attendants seem far less happy about Duran causing property damage, and now seem to be watching the battle carefully to make sure that nothing else is harmed. Averil's Dragon Claw similarly misses, though her vicious claws swipe at nothing but air, avoiding damage to any property or people. Both Dusknoir seem to have vanished... Are they planning another Astonish? Both Averil and Durandal are on guard, looking in all directions, prepping themselves in the event that they are startled... However, they are shocked and dismayed when both Dusknoir reappear among the crowd!! One seems to be hovering in an empty space just behind the audience, while the other is "sitting" at a booth in the center of the food court. By the looks of them, the one in the crowd is Durandal's mark, while the one at the booth is Averil's. The lady Haxorus snarls with a burning hatred at the Dusknoir sitting at the booth. In dragon language, Durandal can clearly hear her hiss the words, Filthy coward! William, too, is trying to hide his rage at the pair of Dusknoir, who seem to be pressing the boundaries further and further.

At the end of this round, Duran is still in tip-top shape, having been masterful at dodging for two consecutive rounds. Averil is looking a bit rough, especially considering the burn/hex combo, though she is far from giving up. Duran's Dusknoir opponent is likely missing half of its health, and still seems to be suffering from the burn it received earlier. Averil's Dusknoir is severely damaged, and may not last another round... provided Averil can get to it. Balmund and William will have to make some difficult decisions, and make them quickly.

How will Balmund respond?

Last round's success had left a bittersweet aftertaste in Balmund's mouth. Things had gone very well in some aspects, and very troubling in others. On one hand, both ghosts had taken considerable damage, definitely tilting the edge in the dragon's favor. The dragons themselves, on the other hand, had also avoided most of it marvelously... so well, the crowd still did not seem to notice anything wrong at all! Furthermore, save for just the tiniest bit of property damage, luckily, there were no casualties at all either, though the park's staff clearly did not like having half a table chewed off a single bite. Balmund wouldn't be surprised to find out they were calling security already. That said, he was glad the strategy had payed off, despite the clear risks taken.

Pulling yet another dirty trick up their sleeves, the Dusknoir now position themselves strategically amongst the crowd! The filthy cowards! Both dragons were clearly looking quite frustrated and furious at this, and Balmund only hoped they could channel their anger properly before harming some innocent life accidentaly. And he thought his options were already limited as is! To make things worse, their "profesionalism" was now playing against them as the crowd was entranced by their "act". They seemed to trust them completely, and Balmund had just hoped he didn't have to carry such a responsability on his shoulders. What to do, oh what to do? Stall out somehow and hope for a better and safer shot? No... they hardly had any time, they were already racing against the clock as is and the longer they took the worse it would get. Break the act and try speaking the truth? As if; it was too late for that now; they would probably think it to be part of the act too. Escape? Impossible, the Dusknoir themselves had taken measures against that. Above all options, his gut instinct told him he had to throw the dice and gamble on one final attack to finish them off for good. If things went wrong, many people would be hurt, but he trusted his Pokèmon completely, and after carefully observing his partner, he knew he could trust in William and Averil's judgement and training too.

Opposite to Durandal, the Dusknoir seemed to be placed in an empty spot behind the crowd. How to reach him? Gravity was heightened, making everything a lot heavier, and thus making flight nigh impossible... but not completely. While Duran now probably weighed twice, if not thrice his normal body weight, perhaps with enough accelaration and power behind his wings he might just be able leap safely past the crowd. It was a stunt that had absolutely no room for error, as the consequences would haunt him forever; them both for that matter. However, it was definitely worth a try, and there was no time to think things through. He had to go on instinct, like the best of the best usually do.

"Durandal, I need you to blow a Tailwind before attempting to Fly over to your mark! Then show everyone the might of your powerful Dragon Rush as you do!" Balmund commanded, still in character, though his eyes reflected deep fear and anticipation, not for his own safety, or the Salamence's, but for that of the dozens of lives that were now potentially in grave danger by his own hand. Not even the Rollerquaza itself had been able to pump so much adrenaline into Balmund's body as this very instant. His heart was about to burst out of his chest and he could feel his palms drenched in cold sweat. It was like firing a gun against a terrorist shielded behind a hostage, and he knew his shot had to be firm, accurate, and resolute. If everything went well, Duran might just be able to make it, and he could perhaps even use the Dusknoir's own Gravity in his favor, adding a lot of extra oomph behind his attack. As for William, Balmund could only cross fingers and hope he could come up with a plan of his own...

[uhhhhh]

uhhhhh- Connor is quick to realize that he has little way of distinguishing the Drifloon who helped him earlier from the other members of the group, and asks the Drifloon if he might be able to provide Connor with a name. The Drifloon inhales while Connor introduces himself and Gaspard, and exhales the name "Sam" when Connor has finished his sentence. The Drifloon named Sam inhales again, prepared for Connor to ask more questions. Indeed, Connor is anxious to know what kind of help Sam needs from the trainer and his Aipom. The photographer assumes that it has something to do with the strange Balloon Man, who likely was the culprit behind the transformation of these Drifloon; when Sam exhales, however, the airy sound imitates a harsh laugh.

"You seem to be the only one stupid enough-"

Sam begins squeaking as he runs out of air, but another Drifloon tries to finish his sentence for him. "-stupid enough to think that we would challenge-"

Yet another Drifloon chimes in. "-the Balloon Man. That's the last thing we need." Sam lets out a small sigh before reinflating again.

"We need to get out of here. We... can't find the way out. It's like-"

"-we're cursed." Another Drifloon graciously finishes the sentence for Sam. Sam reinflates, and begins again.

"I can prob'ly last a few more weeks, but my wife needs-"

Sam still has some air left to finish his sentence, but another Drifloon cuts him off, a sad expression clear on the little balloon's face. "Sam, while you were gone, your-"

"your wife blanked out. We didn't want-"

"you to see her like that, so we let her wander-" The Drifloon stops, but not for lack of air. It seems hesitant to continue speaking on its own, but none of the other Drifloons seem to want to chime in. Sam turns to face Connor, clearly distraught. He inhales, very deeply, and when Sam begins speaking again, it is soft and slow, so that he can speak with as few interruptions and reinhalations as possible.

"Do you know what blankout is, Connor? The curse does not just affect our bodies, it affects our minds, as well. The clock starts ticking the moment transformation happens. Memories begin fading away, one by one, until there is nothing left... that is blankout." Sam sighs, which allows him to take in more air. "We came here looking for our son, when the Balloon Man assured us that he had run into the House of Mirrors. Gave us some balloons, for free... Said it was 'cause he felt bad for us, missing a son and all." Sam reinhales. "My wife... she wanted to forget. I knew this, but... I held out hope..."

One of the other 'floons wraps a string-like appendage around Sam's body, as if trying to comfort him. "Connor and Gaspard will help us! We'll get out, and make new memories, while we can... Like you wanted!"

"We'll ride the winds of Fizzytopia, make new friends-" another Drifloon starts, also trying to rekindle the hope in Sam's heart.

"Go places we've never been -"

"We'll never look into another mirror again!" At this statement, all of the Drifloons let out a hearty cheer. Even Sam, despite his sadness, is able to manage a little, airy hurrah.

"What do you say, monkeys?" Sam tilts his balloon head, desperately trying to act tough and hold back tears in the face of the trainer and his Aipom.

How will Connor and Gaspard respond?

Connor facepalmed when the Drifloons laughed at him suggesting that they take on the Balloon Man, "Well, at least I tried guessing right? Really though, that was a bit too harsh don't you think? A simple 'no' would have been nice," he said as he frowned. The mood then became serious as he listened to how the Drifloons couldn't get out and are trying to find a way out. "Huh? That's a bit strange... I mean sure, this House of Mirrors sure is confusing to navigate, but don't you think that you would have found a way out already? This place isn't exactly that big. It's an attraction for crying out loud!" Connor thought. "Then again, stranger things have happened here already... I shouldn't be surprised at what else is going to come. Also, to think that I would have had that curse as well had Gaspard not stopped me... man, this is all crazy,"

Connor then listened even further to the Drifloons and was deeply saddened about Sam's loss of his wife. He and Gaspard bowed their heads at the particular Drifloon, "I'm sorry to hear that Sam," he quietly said to him. For some reason, and Connor couldn't explain it, but he could relate somehow to losing memories as well. "And if what the Balloon Man said was true, then his son... no, I don't want to think about that. It's too horrible," Connor shook his head at the thought that crossed his mind.

Sam and the Drifloons then asked him if Connor and Gaspard could help them with finding a way out of the maze. The duo quickly nodded, "All right, we'll help. I have to warn you guys though, I'm horrible at directions. Now then, is there anything you could tell us first before we start? Some info or something that you guys gathered that could help me think of a way for you guys to get out? I get the feeling that simply looking for the exit just won't do here..." he said to the Drifloons in front of him. He didn't want to jump to conclusions this time and was now asking the Drifloons on anything they could tell him to help on the matter.

[poketim2]

poketim2- ((Welcome to Phantom Isle! Since you are in my group, you will need to use #9933FF as your post color from now on when replying to updates. I hope you enjoy your time here~ *Evil laugh*))

Brier and his pal Jitterz take a stroll down the walkways of Phantom Isle's abandoned theme park, discussing a bet which resulted in the young man having to travel with his Joltik to the supposedly haunted locale. While neither man nor Pokemon has seen anything particularly out of the ordinary, it is a bit strange how an otherwise bright and sunny day in Fizzytopia turned dark and ominous the moment the two stepped foot inside the theme park. Then again, sudden changes in weather were common in this area, and it would be silly to jump to conclusions, right? The pair are not about to let the foreboding atmosphere get them down, after all... Their playful banter indicates that, despite the stormy weather, the pair are ready for whatever comes their way. Of course, Jitterz seems far more ready to go than his trainer; as such, the Joltik utilizes his web-making ability and shoots string at his human companion, forming a leash of sorts with which the little Joltik can use to pull his considerably larger partner into the haunted attraction. As Brier is dragged unceremoniously through entrance of the House of Mirrors, he can at least be grateful that no one is around to see his humiliating predicament... yet despite the fact that the park appears deserted, Brier can't help but feel as if he is being watched. Was that the sound of laughter he heard in the distance, or just the wind? Perhaps Brier's imagination was getting the better of him.

As Jitterz drags Brier into the House of Mirrors, the little Joltik seems quite amused by the variety of mirrors which distort his captive trainer in rather humorous ways. Eventually, Brier breaks free of his String Shot leash, but as he stands up, he is drawn to a mirror that stands out as not displaying a mere reflection; in fact, the mirror appears to have a scene painted over it. As Brier gets closer to the mirror, however, he realizes that the "picture" over the mirror is actually moving... It appears to be some kind of thick forest area trapped within the mirror, with large, shady trees forming a path into the distance. Was this some kind of illusion? Brier and his partner look around, but don't see any means by which such a scene could be projected onto the mirror. Perhaps it was a TV screen, but it was unlikely that the amusement park would even have access to such advanced technology when it was still in operation. As the pair looks around the area, Jitterz suddenly notices a man sticking his head out from behind the trees. "MARCUS, MARCUS!" He shouts, alerting Brier to his presence. Brier is a bit confused at the shouting, seeing as his name clearly isn't Marcus.

As the man cries out, an incredibly unusual Pokemon floats out from is, behind the man... No, it can't be, but there it right in front of their eyes...! Brier and Jitterz stare in wonderment as a shiny Jirachi floats out from behind the man, looking in similar wonderment at Brier and Jitterz.

"The Great Mirror has granted our wish," the Jirachi remarks happily, in startlingly pristine English. The legendary being then calls out to the pair in the House of Mirrors; "Please come join us, you two! We need your help!"

"MARCUS!" The man cries out again.

What will Brier and Jitterz do?

"Ack, that tastes horrible, like and old shoe soaked in garlic juice" Brier said half-vomiting as he removed what was left of the string shot leash. Standing, he half glances over his shoulder towards a mirror that somewhat stood out from the rest. It appeared to have a forest painted over it. "Weird... Why would this even be in here?" he said moving closer to it. Motioning for Jitterz to join him, Brier realized that the image was moving.

"Wow, it'z even deeper than back at home!" Jitterz gasped in shock, "How do they get this to work?"

"I would say that it's smoke and mirrors but that would be just wrong. Anyways it is probably a projector or maybe a custom TV." Brier suggested to his partner. Placing his hand on the "mirror" the all to familiar twinge that had bothered him since setting foot in the park ran down his back, shooting the already on end hairs out of his skin.

"Not what I ment, there is no way this is electrical, I would sense it if it were; not to mention this place is far to old and run down to have something this good," Jitterz expanded upon his question. "Hey! There is a man in there."

"MARCUS, MARCUS!"

Brier jumped a bit in fright and thought, "Is he calling for me? No, He couldn't be, my name's not Marcus and I don't even recognise him."

"Hey, that there behind him could that be a...and then the colors..." Jitters wispered.

"I think it is, hold on one second." Brier said fumbling for his Pokedex. *zzzzzzzzz* "Static... odd maybe something to do with the mirror."

"The Great Mirror has granted our wish, please come join us, you two! We need your help!" the Jirachi calls happily to Brier and Jitterz as the man calls out for Marcus again.

"I...I...I..." Jitterz and Brier repeated in their stupor. Placing his hand on the mirror "Why do you need our help? And this mirror, how would we even get to you?" Brier outed braking the silence.

[Marion Ette]

Meetan- Alice does her best to reassure the mechanical Rapidash, assuring her that the card was more likely to symbolize a bad omen than actual death... Of course, "bad omen" does not seem to calm the Rapidash down much, though Selene is quick to intervene, as well.

"It is only a bad omen if you decide to perceive it as such," Selene adds, in a calm and soothing voice. "The main meaning of the card is the ending to a behavior, a way of thinking, or even a way of life... It is the type of end that is necessary for new beginnings, similar to the way that death itself is necessary for rebirth." Selene bows her head. "We all fear these little deaths, to some degree... it can be a scary thing, and many perceive this card to be a bad omen as a result. Certainly, there are changes in life we perceive as good and bad, endings that bring us joy or sorrow, or even both... but every last goodbye has something to teach us, Miss... I'm sorry, but what is your name, Madame Rapidash?"

The question stuns the mechanical Rapidash into silence. Apparently forgetting her "impending death," the Rapidash seems to meditate on this question a moment, before responding in a resigned tone, "Sorry, ma'am... Haven't the slightest. Just call me Rapid, I guess." Urth gives Rapid a compassionate chirp, and apparently seems to be offering the mecha-horse help in remembering.

"Well... if y'can, I'd be mighty grateful," Rapid chortles. The Natu flies with her little turban behind a curtain, and appears to be looking for something as Selene turns her attention back to Alice, taking her left hand and focusing on the palm reading she promised.

"Let's see... Overall, you are a free-spirited, independent young lady. You are curious and social, but prone to worries and anxiety. You are a gifted communicator, but you may overrationalize your feelings and emotions. At your worst, you are shallow, spiteful and cold... However, at your best, you are capable of thinking in radical, often innovative ways." Selene then narrows her eyes in concentration, focusing in on particular lines. Selene smiles a bit. "You have less interest in romance than other young women your age, but you may find yourself falling in love more easily than you would expect. This little fact about yourself is important to keep in mind, now more than ever." Selene's eyes drift down Alice's hand. "You are able to separate your heart and your mind; you are clear-thinking, focused and creative. Whatever issues you will face now will likely have nothing to do with a lack of clear thinking on your part." The fortune teller giggles a bit. "Of course, none of this is really helping with the question at hand, is it? Hmm, let me see..." Selene gently traces line three with her index finger. "You have a great enthusiasm for life, and you are destined for a life full of adventure. Ah, but what adventures await you now? A-HA!" Selene cries out with excitement. "Here we are... It seems as if you are easily manipulated... by others? No, by your own fears." Selene stops tracing the line and focuses intently. Her eyes are so focused, they seem to be glowing faintly... "Ah, but I cannot tell... Which is worse? Trusting your animal instinct for survival, or going against what you know to be a losing battle? Your lifeline is burning... everything... everything is burning..."

Normally, fear comes in a wave of cold sweat, but a sudden feeling of heat surrounds Alice... As she looks up, the velvet tent surrounding her and Rapid appears to be covered with flames! Before Alice can even react, however, the vision of fire is gone in a blink, leaving the tent completely unharmed. "...What was I saying again?" Selene blinks, as if hit by momentary amnesia. "Oh, yes... It seems as if whatever path you take, you will ultimately have to face a terrible fear. Be strong, Alice."

Meanwhile, the little Natu seems to have found what she was looking for: producing a Natu-sized Ouija board, the little creature flies over to Rapid and sets the device down, perching itself on the lens. Her good eye glows brightly, and the Natu zooms around the Ouija board, apparently searching the past for Rapid's true name... After a moment of dizzying movement around the board, the Natu stops, hopping off the board dizzily. After shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she relates what she perceived in a series of chirps. The mechanical Rapidash tilts its head, clearly not sure what to make of the revelation.

"Hold yer' horses, kiddo... Yer' not makin' any sense. You could not find my real name, but y' found my true name? And what kinda name is Cowgirl, anyhow? I think I'munna' stick with Rapid, iffn' y'don't mind..."

Selene's eyes suddenly widen. "Go... GO... quickly, now...!" Selene stands up in such a hurry that she knocks her elaborate chair down, and she begins pushing Alice out the door! "No time to waste, just GO!" The Rapidash notices this, and kicks behind itself with one steel leg as a warning to Selene that any sudden or harmful movements towards Alice will be paid for dearly.

How will Alice respond?



Dark Searchman-Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Hyrem is aware of that ominous metaphorical clock, ticking away. As such, he would rather not waste time coming up with a new plan while the old one seems to have worked well enough for the entrance. Of course, there are more "surveillance systems" this time around, but Hyrem, the Frillish and Delilah all know that they do not have the time to sit around discussing and debating alternate methods of taking down the eyes. Original plan in mind, Delilah lets loose a brilliant Flash once again with her magnificent lures, and though the bright light stuns more than half of the eyes, the light's strength diminishes down the long cooridor, leaving the rest of the eyes irrirated and momentarily shocked, perhaps, but certainly not blinded. Those eyes that were not blinded all turn in the direction of the Flash, and though they lack faces with which to express their emotions, Hyrem and his small team can sense anger from the glares.

Delilah quickly unleashes her Shock Wave in hopes of taking out as many eyes as possible; with her electric-based attack which the eyes seem to conduct well and the poking of the Frillish, roughly of the eyes in the corridor have been destroyed. Hyrem can see from the destroyed eyes that they appear to have been attached to the wall by small, metal hooks. Perhaps this is why they conducted electricity so well...

The remaining eyes shoot a Mean Look at Hyrem and the Team, which frightens them so completely that they are unable to react when the door shuts behind them, locking them in. They also manage to sneak in a nasty Leer, which lowers the defense of all Pokemon present with Hyrem. Certainly, the eyes are capable of some nasty glares... The Frillish, Hyrem and Delilah execute the plan one more time; though the flash is similarly successful, Delilah seems to be a bit spent from all of her Shock Waves and blinding lights, and the electricity only damages half the number of eyes that it did originally, leaving 25% of the eyes still whole. Energy conservation may end up being an issue for Delilah, though she is certainly trying her best...

The female Frillish urges you forward. "They're still blind. Let's just go to the main chamber!" Before she can float forward, however, the Blue Frillish stops her and points to the remaining eyes, shaking his head. The pink Frillish desperately tries to push him out of the way. "No, we don't have time! Besides, The Harvester probably knows we're here already! Let's just go!"

Hyrem can definitely see the point from both sides of the argument. On the one hand, they were racing against time on a number of different levels; however, Hyrem does not have any idea what will happen if those eyes are left undamaged. If damaging the eyes weakened The Harvester, then wouldn't it be a good idea to destroy them..? No amount of weakening would help if he lost his eyes, though...

Hyrem's vision is steadily weakening. He can side with either Frillish, but he has to make his decision fast.

How will Hyrem respond?



Itzatrap- Rob can't help but wonder why the little Patrat would be so reticent to take a ride on Mantine Mania with him, while at the same time being so eager to show them where he found his earring. Arceus willing, Rob would be able to find out what frightened the Patrat so about the kiddie attraction, provided that this quest for treasure did not lead to Rob and Melantha's demise... It was a scary thought, but one that Rob prepared himself for, as the search for treasures such as Patrat's magnificent earring often came with great risk. Either way, Rob decides that he will follow the Patrat's instructions, but not without first making an interesting request... Despite Melantha's embarrassment, the little chipmunk-like creature's fuzzy, chubby cheeks are too much for Rob to resist, and with the Pokemon thus far appearing to be quite friendly, Rob insists upon asking to squeeze the Patrat's chubby cheeks. The Patrat pauses for a moment and considers Rob's request before eventually nodding; it does a bit of shifting with its mouth, pushing its left cheek with its free hand and deflating it somewhat, while the right expands to twice its size; Rob quickly figures out that the Patrat is moving one of the berries stored in its cheeks to the other cheek, so that Rob doesn't squish one of the Patrat's stored berries. The Patrat then bares its empty left cheek for Rob to feel.

Rob squeezes the little cheek, and finds its skin and fur to be soft and very pliable. Rob imagines that a Mew's cheek must have that same fuzzy feeling, though maybe not the same level of elasticity. In fact, Rob can pull the cheek out to some distance without causing the Patrat any pain, and then snap it back into place! This discovery could provide hours of simple amusement, but the Patrat stops Rob by taking a gentle, but firm grasp of Rob's hand. With both trainer and Absol holding hands with the mysterious rodent, Rob and Melantha suddenly feel a shiver run down their spines. The Patrat's eyes and earring begin to glow ominously; both Rob and Melantha find the Patrat's grip much stronger than before, and though the Patrat seems to be taking great care not to hurt either of them, neither can break free of this newly-strengthened hold. A voice echoes through their minds, as a blinding white light suddenly fills the lobby of Mantine Mania; Coordinates confirmed. Transport in 3... 2... 1... The light becomes so incredibly bright that both Rob and Melantha are temporarily blinded; they then feel the ground drop from under them as the strong feeling of being lifted overtakes them. It was as if the pair was being dragged towards the sky...

After a few disorienting moments, Rob and Melantha regain their vision, though both find their first few steps in this new, strange area to be wobbly and uncoordinated as they regain their balance. They find themselves in a stainless steel room, with minimal decoration and no apparent entrances or exits. The Patrat that the pair had held hands with just moments before seems to be nowhere in sight. The only windows in the room appear to be a row of circular windows on the floor. Both Rob and Melantha find themselves intrigued by these windows, and as they peer into the nearest one, they are shocked to see the entirity of the Phantom Isle Haunted Theme Park sprawled out beneath them. The sounds of mechanical whirring and clicking seem to be all around them. Could it be...?

Once again, a voice echoes within Rob and Melantha's heads; Welcome to our humble facility, Fizzylings, the voice says with a rather amicable tone. One of our field researchers seems to have found you intriguing enough to be worthy of study. Please, do not be alarmed! As you have not caused harm to our researcher, we do not intend to cause you any harm, either. Of course, we may eventually decide to squeeze your cheeks to see what they feel like... The voice chuckles. Only joking, of course. Please direct your attention to the Pokeballs in the center of the room.

Sure enough, when Melantha and Rob look towards the front of the metallic room, three metallic boxes have materialized exactly where the voice has directed. The typings on these Pokeballs have been switched around. All three are typed incorrectly. You may only call out one Pokemon; the other Pokeballs will lock the moment you do. Your first task - a simple one, really - is to rearrange the type symbols so that they are correct. Take your time, as there is no limit.

Rob inspects the Pokeballs, examining the little symbols on each, which appear to be fastened to each Pokeball with a magnet. One has what appears to be a little blue raindrop, one has a little bolt of lightning, and the third has both.

What will Rob and Melantha do?



Bamund- It was now or never, and if Balmund and William were ever going to win this match, the pair was going to have to take some serious risks. William inhales deeply, and while Balmund issues his orders, he appears to be making a split-second decision.

As Durandal begins whipping up a strong Tailwind behind himself and his battle partner, William reaches quickly into his bag, and motions for Averil to perform another Dragon Dance as he explains what the pair of dragon trainers are doing to the crowd, quickly throwing two objects at each of the Dusknoir. The objects land perfectly in position beneath the Dusknoir, not hitting anyone or anything on the way. "Move outta' the way, everyone! You've seen their power, sure... but just how accurate are these dragons? Can they snipe these Pokedolls from where they're standing now, given all these obstacles? We'll find out!!" Though Balmund can sense William's nervousness, the crowd seems oblivious to his fear, and immediately begin clearing to one side or the other. The Dusknoir Hold Position, but as they watch the crowd parting in two, they quickly realize that their plan to turn the dragons on the onlookers may end up failing miserably.

Duran quickly finds that the area of the Dusknoir's gravity-raising attack did NOT extend into the crowd, which is likely why they did not react to the sudden change in weight... Indeed, they did not feel it because they were not affected by it! Finding himself much lighter than before, Duran swoops into the air, Flying high above the crowd, who are fascinated by Durandal's power and majesty in flight. Averil, quickly perceiving Durandal's ability to defy gravity outside the initial battle area, quickly runs up towards where the crowd was sitting, jumps up onto a table and unleashes a Dragon Pulse from her position, which flawlessly decimates the toy that William threw (much to the crowd's delight), but hits just a moment too late as the Dusknoir dodges out of the way. The Dusknoir opposite Durandal realizes that he is unable to hit him, so he instead joins his fellow Dusknoir in firing black beam of Night Shade towards Averil... both of which completely miss, bouncing aimlessly into a wall as Averil dodges out of the way, hopping on one foot and pretending to wind up for her next attack... most-likely a claw-based assault.

Durandal comes flying down with a vicious Dragon Rush; unfortunately, much like Averil, his attack only manages to damage the Pokedoll, as the Dusknoir smoothly dodges the attack. The other Dusknoir is not so lucky... Averil charges like a mad woman at the remains of the Pokedoll, slashing with Dragon Claw as if uncontrollably consumed with rage. The snow of stuffing rains down on the benches, and even some of the parkgoers, who are in awe of what a dragon in a state of madness looks like... What matters to William and Balmund, however, is that this attack is the last thing the Dusknoir opposite Averil sees before blacking out, its body falling to the ground noiselessly before disappearing entirely. The other Dusknoir, seeing what Averil has done, floats with incredible speed over to her, decking her hard with an Ice Punch. Once again, she stoically takes the hit, but Durandal can see her masking a visible cringe with a mask of pure rage.

"Those dolls were my daughter's," William mutters to Balmund, "but I had to do it." Balmund senses a great weight behind that statement as William pulls away, enthusiastically cheering Averil on for her "beautiful performance." Of course, Balmund, Durandal and Averil all understand that his congratulations goes deeper than that.

Durandal remains invincible with high health and no status ailments. Averil, on the other hand, is looking beat, and people are audibly questioning whether William is "working her too hard"... In fact, some glares are definitely being shot his way for abusing his Pokemon in such a way for entertainment. William is visibly worried that if the Dusknoir continues to target Averil, that she may be a casualty of this match, just like her opponent. The remaining Dusknoir is somewhere between half health and 1/4th, if Balmund had to guess; it was looking relatively as he did in the last round, though the burn was still steadily sapping its health.

What will Balmund and Durandal do?



uhhhhh- Connor finally decides to remark on the rudeness he has been experiencing since the moment he met Sam, which seems to be a trait the group shares with the smart-talking 'floon... Of course, the inflated Pokemon do not seem to react at all to his suggestion that they could have phrased their response to his guess more respectfully. As the Drifloons then explain how difficult it has been to find an escape to their mirror-filled prison, Connor first thinks about how silly it seems for even the aimlessly floating Drifloon to get lost in a mirror maze meant for family entertainment. After all, the architects of this maze couldn't have been that brilliant, and even if they were, the place had been built with small children in mind as well as adults. That said, Connor also realizes that stranger things have happened in this place; getting that hopelessly lost in the House of Mirrors may not have been what the builders of this place intended, but they also probably did not intend on parkgoers getting attacked by demon balloons, either! As the drama unfolds regarding Sam's wife, Connor can't help but feel for the little purple creature, even despite his churlish demeanor. It was a fate Connor probably wouldn't wish on anybody, least of all someone who had helped him avoid a terrible curse. Connor didn't even want to think about what might have happened to Sam's little boy...

Gaspard and his trainer are quick to agree to helping the lost group of 'floons, despite Connor's bad sense of direction. The group considers Connor's question thoughtfully before Sam himself responds.

Well... we have options. There has to be an exit somewhere, but we don't know...

That much about it, another continues. It could be locked, or blocked off.

Any way out is a good way out, Sam says after reinflating. What ideas do you have, everyone?

One Drifloon suggests to look for large cracks in the mirrors, or broken mirrors that lead to other parts of the maze. One suggests checking the floorboards; the Drifloon did find this basement home after noticing a loose floorboard, after all, and perhaps another basement cavern might have an exit. A third 'floon, who speaks human language a bit more clearly than the others, suggests that there may be hints for young children posted around the maze if they were lost, but since human skills like the ability to read were among the first things to go in the 'floon's memories, they would not have been able to utilize such hints. One of the little balloons asks what reading is, and Sam shakes his head... Seems as if the Drifloon asking the question may be the next to experience a Blankout. Anything suspicious should be inspected, another balloon Pokemon advises, though yet another suggests that inspecting every little thing might take too much time.

The Drifloon argue amongst themselves for a bit on this point; how does one define "suspicious" or "important" in this crazy House of Mirrors? After a heated, air-filled discussion, the 'floons turn to Connor, one by one.

Sam is the last to turn to Connor and Gaspard, and he lets out a little, airy sigh. Well, you're our would-be rescuers... What do you think we should be on the lookout for? He takes a breath. Just let us know, and we'll start the search.

How will Connor and Gaspard respond?



poketim2 - The Jirachi seems shocked the moment that Brier begins speaking. "Oh, wow, you speak the language of Pokemon? How wonderful!" Of course, this comment confuses Brier, who was pretty damn certain he was speaking English the entire time... Meanwhile, the odd man in the mirror keeps calling out for Marcus. Who was this Marcus, anyway...?

The shiny Jirachi answers Brier's second question first, as it partially phases through the mirror, grabbing Brier and Jitterz and pulling them through the glass! The pair hurtle forward and land on the soft grass of the thick forest, and find themselves now surrounded by a beautiful forest landscape, complete with the sights, sounds, smells and textures which accompany such a scene. Behind the pair is a large mirror with golden trim depicting some common forest Pokemon: Caterpie, Bidoof, Wurmple and more are depicted with great finery on the edges of the mirror, with brilliant gemstone eyes. For a moment, Brier and Jitterz can see the House of Mirrors reflected in the glass, but it disappears quickly, leaving behind only the reflection of the world in which they now find themselves. The Jirachi continues speaking, in an effort to answer Brier's other question; "A Goldeen has been spotted in nearby Pantoum Isle! The Giratina and Darkrai cannot read their poetry with such a destructive, powerful creature about... The reward for its capture is quite great!" The shiny Jirachi eyes Brier's Joltik. "With a Pokemon as strong as yours, I am certain we could take the fishy menace down as a team! Please, follow Marcus and myself..." Marcus nods, and with a cheerful "MARCUS MARC," he goes off in the direction of what Brier and Jitterz presume to be Pantoum Isle. "By the way, my name is Suonimul, but you can call me Suoni."

As the two trainers and their Pokemon walk towards the Pantoum Isle, Brier can see a whole flock of shiny Articuno resting in a rather large tree in the distance... The moment the Articuno look in Jitterz' direction, however, they fly away in a panic. Brier and Jitterz both look behind and around themselves to see what could have frightened them off, but perceive nothing out of the ordinary. Their search for the source of the legendary ice types' fear is interrupted by Marcus excitedly crying out his own name, as he and Suoni point to an immense clearing within the forest... There appears to be a rather large circle of land within the clearing, which is surrounded by a deep, moat-like body of water at least one-hundred feet across. Marcus and Suoni appear quite unphased by this, however, as they walk right on top of the water as if it were as solid as the ground! "This way, my friends!" Suoni urges them on cheerfully.

What will Brier and Jitterz do?

[King Ghidorah]

Favorite color is yellow and blue, but yellow looks better here. (If you want to see yellow clearly, try the Electric Skin) Also, just like the past weeks, my updating will slow down. One because I'm moving. Two because I'm applying for an advanced arts school which requires a lot of projects that need to be done. And lastly because I'm also busy with other Serebii related stuff other than FB. But this doesn't mean that its once a month. But if it is, then I apologize for the inconvenience and I hope you guys understand

King Ghidorah- Hugo yelled desperately towards Krabby, who was still nowhere to be found. The crab’s familiar clicks could be heard, but Hugo cannot make out which was dream and which was reality. Soon enough, Hugo was crossing a bridge into mental insanity. “Maybe I can fight them off. Maybe I can… maybe I can use AncientPower! Or Croissfire! Or Bubblebeam! Maybe I can do it all!”

Finally, he stops running, and loses his grip on reality. He faces the crowd of faceless people, and taunted them. The horde came quickly, jumping off buildings and getting out of cars. They closed in on Hugo, who was now laughing wickedly at the world.

“Click click!”

Hugo opened his eyes, and saw the dark night above him. The cold stony floor was unconfortable on his head and back. His mouth was parched, head dizzy, and body paralyzed. Krabby was standing on his chest, and was rejoicing when he finally awakened Hugo. Hugo tried his best to get up, but was interrupted by a screaming wail from the Mismagius. “Your Krabby was the least of my worries, but I guess he was too strong to remain asleep with my Hypnosis.” Mismagius’ tendrils spazzed rapidly, as she screams louder. “THIS TIME, YOU WONT ESCAPE!” She opens her beaks, and a large black ball formed near it. She is planning to attack!

Although paralyzed and dizzy, Hugo must make a decision for Krabby. What will he do?

[/COLOR]

“KRABBY! USE—“ Hugo shouts, but before Hugo can announce any strategy, Krabby begins glowing brightly. Shortly in a few seconds, Krabby has nearly doubled in size…and power. Apparently all the stress took it’s toll, and as a response, Krabby evolved into Kingler!

Kingler raises his large claws and glares angrily at the Mismagius, who begins to send an attack directly toward Hugo and Kingler.

“Alright, Kingler! I knew you would come through! We can take care of this!”

Kingler grunted in agreement and clicked it’s large claws.

“Blast that thing with Crossfire! Then summon up the Power of the Ancients!”

Hugo, though he now had Kingler, knew he was going for broke. If this didn’t work, what would?

[Dark Searchman]

Dark Searchman-Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Hyrem is aware of that ominous metaphorical clock, ticking away. As such, he would rather not waste time coming up with a new plan while the old one seems to have worked well enough for the entrance. Of course, there are more "surveillance systems" this time around, but Hyrem, the Frillish and Delilah all know that they do not have the time to sit around discussing and debating alternate methods of taking down the eyes. Original plan in mind, Delilah lets loose a brilliant Flash once again with her magnificent lures, and though the bright light stuns more than half of the eyes, the light's strength diminishes down the long cooridor, leaving the rest of the eyes irrirated and momentarily shocked, perhaps, but certainly not blinded. Those eyes that were not blinded all turn in the direction of the Flash, and though they lack faces with which to express their emotions, Hyrem and his small team can sense anger from the glares.

Delilah quickly unleashes her Shock Wave in hopes of taking out as many eyes as possible; with her electric-based attack which the eyes seem to conduct well and the poking of the Frillish, roughly of the eyes in the corridor have been destroyed. Hyrem can see from the destroyed eyes that they appear to have been attached to the wall by small, metal hooks. Perhaps this is why they conducted electricity so well...

The remaining eyes shoot a Mean Look at Hyrem and the Team, which frightens them so completely that they are unable to react when the door shuts behind them, locking them in. They also manage to sneak in a nasty Leer, which lowers the defense of all Pokemon present with Hyrem. Certainly, the eyes are capable of some nasty glares... The Frillish, Hyrem and Delilah execute the plan one more time; though the flash is similarly successful, Delilah seems to be a bit spent from all of her Shock Waves and blinding lights, and the electricity only damages half the number of eyes that it did originally, leaving 25% of the eyes still whole. Energy conservation may end up being an issue for Delilah, though she is certainly trying her best...

The female Frillish urges you forward. "They're still blind. Let's just go to the main chamber!" Before she can float forward, however, the Blue Frillish stops her and points to the remaining eyes, shaking his head. The pink Frillish desperately tries to push him out of the way. "No, we don't have time! Besides, The Harvester probably knows we're here already! Let's just go!"

Hyrem can definitely see the point from both sides of the argument. On the one hand, they were racing against time on a number of different levels; however, Hyrem does not have any idea what will happen if those eyes are left undamaged. If damaging the eyes weakened The Harvester, then wouldn't it be a good idea to destroy them..? No amount of weakening would help if he lost his eyes, though...

Hyrem's vision is steadily weakening. He can side with either Frillish, but he has to make his decision fast.

How will Hyrem respond?

This time, Delilah's Flash only stunned about 60-70% of the eyes and alerted the rest to their presence. Her Shock Wave destroyed the blinded eyes, but... ow, um, that still left about 17 Mean eyes Looking at them. The door had closed behind them, trapping them, but turning back stopped being an option when Hyrem entered the "Dive" attraction in the now obliterated submarine. As the eyes continued to Leer at them, they tried the plan again, unknowingly lowering their guards. The second attempt only works against seven or eight eyes, leaving ten eyes left and Delilah getting tired. The pink Frillish was getting tired of attacking just eyes and was ready to attack the main body.

"They're still blind. Let's just go to the main chamber!" she says. Her brother disagreed and wanted to stay and destroy the rest of the eyes, but she tries to push him away and move into the chamber. "No, we don't have time! Besides, The Harvester probably knows we're here already! Let's just go!"

Hyrem didn't like passing up an opportunity to gain a possible advantage over his enemy, but his aching eyes didn't care at this point. "She's right, we've gotta move now!" he said hoarsely, his hand on his forehead. "Though if you can poke out a couple of eyes on the way, go ahead. Delilah, let's conserve energy for now; we'll need as much strength as we've got to get out of this!" Were this done in a place where Hyrem could breathe air, he'd be able to call on other Pokemon for support, but right now, the only Pokemon he could rely on now were Delilah and the two Frillish. Still, they were the Pokemon he knew he could rely on, and his faith in them wasn't going to go anywhere else.

[MarbleZone]

MarbleZone- Levin is determined to work hard and impress the lovely Calandra, and displayed his resolution through strong eye-contact with the beautiful, hot-tempered Ruby. The questions are a bit too personal for Levin's liking, but he is firm in his decision to stick it out, even if these questions are a sign of more uncomfortable, potentially painful trials to come. Ruby maintains this eye contact with a strong gaze of his own, clearly not one to back down. Ruby's eyes are intense and thoughtful as Levin answers each question to the best of his ability, not missing a word of what Levin has to say. Once the trainer has finished speaking, Ruby nods decisively, as if he has already made up his mind.

"Very well, Kevin." Ruby smirks playfully. "You seem like a man who cannot accept defeat... always looking for another way, an alternate method... a man who relies on brains over brawn. Hmph, I suppose that could be a good thing. Then again, you couldn't just put the Wailmer in a Pokeball and put it in the breadbox that way, hmmmm? I have to hand it to you, though... you answered my last question correctly. The answer, of course, is that you do not disappoint me in the first place, as you stated." The Mismagius chuckles. "Truth be told, you're an a**-kisser and a fool, but I think I have just the job for someone like you." Ruby floats back towards the "Staff" door, phasing through it for a brief moment, before phasing back out again with what appear to be a pair of tuxes; one is human-sized, while the other is considerably smaller, as if tailored to fit a Pokemon. Ruby hands the human-sized tux to Levin, while giving the smaller tuxedo to Crix. "Oh, you two are going to be downright adorable... but looks alone won't get you through this task. Think those Jellicent are magnificent and regal, hmmm? HAH! Well, I hope you weren't bulls****ing me, because that's where you're going. Oh, no long faces now... you're not their dinner. Yet." Ruby cackles ominously. "They bought out the balcony seats, as they always do, and will be expecting the VIP treatment. You will be the one to serve them. Ohhh, but they will let you know if you mess up. Believe me, they will let you know... hehehe. Let me show you to the dressing rooms so that you can both get into uniform..."

Ruby leads Levin and Crix towards the stage, where Callandra and Orfeo were walking moments before. Suddenly, Ruby snaps around, as if suddenly aware of something. "Cover your ears, mortal," Ruby hisses, "if you value your stupid life." Seeing as you and Crix value your "stupid lives", you both do as directed. As the Mismagius and his new hires walk toward the dressing room, the sound of singing barely seeps through to Levin's ears, causing him to become overwhelmed with the same melancholic feeling that he experienced when he heard Calandra's humming... His heart begins to hurt, metaphorically first, and then literally... Was this what having a heart attack felt like? His heart feels as if it might explode in his chest! Resisting the urge to clutch his heart, his pain is finally relieved when the singing suddenly stops. As the dressing room door opens, Calandra pokes her head out sheepishly, and sees Levin and Crix covering their ears. "Are you both alright?" She asks, clearly concerned for their health, before Orfeo appears at the doorway, looks at Levin with a scowl, and ushers Calandra back into the dressing room, shutting the door loudly behind him. "Wonder what's gotten into Orfie," Ruby says with a giant grin. "Well, I guess you'll have to use a different dressing room if he won't let you in. Oh, but I do love when actors throw their little temper tantrums! It's so amusing. This way, my little slaves~"

Ruby takes the trainer and his Pokemon to a smaller dressing room on the other side of the stage; Ruby opens the door, turns on the light and shoves the pair inside, closing the door behind them. There appears to be stalls for both people and Pokemon, which appear more cramped, but will at least get the job done. "Get changed, and hurry! Oh, and while you're in there, think of a good, regal name for them to call you and your sparkplug. Kevin is silly! Think of something more... classy. You better be oozing class when Oceanus comes to pick you up and explain your duties, or I'll be putting salt and pepper on the two of you!"

How will Levin and Crix respond?

Levin let out a sigh of relief, that he wasn’t sure he did a very good job of hiding. The first test was over, and it looked like he had passed. As Ruby guided them towards the dressing rooms, he threw a quick glance at his Elekid; Crix seemed wholly indifferent to the whole thing, probably not even realizing that the Mismagius’s quiz had been a dangerous game… gutsy as he was, the small Electric-Type wasn’t very good at picking up signs of danger from any source other than direct confrontation in battle.

As they approached Calandra’s dressing room, the familiar tune was heard once more. Doing as Ruby instructed, both Levin and Crix covered their ears, but the melody still shook him to the core, invoking a rush of feelings that came out of nowhere followed by a much more dire sensation – a deep, clutching-like pain in his heart that left him breathless. Fortunately it subsided as the song did also, and the Mismagius thought it best to take them to a different division. The wisest decision for sure, but Levin couldn’t shake off the slight disappointment of not sharing a dressing room with the lovely Calandra… No, that’s not right. Focus, idiot!


Upon reaching the other room, Ruby shoved them inside, urging them to hurry up and prepare to be picked up by one “Oceanus”. As he put on his classy tuxedo, and after helping Crix to do the same (lacking opposable thumbs was a bit of a setback when dressing up, he reckoned), Levin paused to assess the situation. He was to provide VIP treatment to a number of short-tempered Jellicent that would come to watch the show later in the night. Failure would no doubt result in that “hypothetical” scenario of Ruby’s earlier, so he’d have to be even more careful with his words from here on out. Not only that… what on earth could Jellicent consider “VIP treatment”? Hopefully Oceanus could enlighten him on that one.

- Hey Crix… got any fancy names for the two of us?

The Elekid looked at his trainer with a glare that read “go take a hike”, much as Levin had expected. Fighting back a grin, he began thinking up impressive names. “Algernon” was nice and regal… but for some reason he felt he needed a moustache and 50 more years on him for that one. Then how about… Gideon? Nah, same problem. He didn’t look Gideonish. Hmm… Lurch? Maybe not, they wouldn’t appreciate the humour anyway. Ohhh, he got it.

- Crix, from here on out you will be “Crixus, the undefeated Elekid”; as for me, I will be Wallace Dornez of House Helsinger.


He loved his little references. Now, to get ready to meet this Oceanus figure, and to hope he would at least have the decency to wait until after they screwed up to eat them.

[Meetan]

Meetan- Alice does her best to reassure the mechanical Rapidash, assuring her that the card was more likely to symbolize a bad omen than actual death... Of course, "bad omen" does not seem to calm the Rapidash down much, though Selene is quick to intervene, as well.

"It is only a bad omen if you decide to perceive it as such," Selene adds, in a calm and soothing voice. "The main meaning of the card is the ending to a behavior, a way of thinking, or even a way of life... It is the type of end that is necessary for new beginnings, similar to the way that death itself is necessary for rebirth." Selene bows her head. "We all fear these little deaths, to some degree... it can be a scary thing, and many perceive this card to be a bad omen as a result. Certainly, there are changes in life we perceive as good and bad, endings that bring us joy or sorrow, or even both... but every last goodbye has something to teach us, Miss... I'm sorry, but what is your name, Madame Rapidash?"

The question stuns the mechanical Rapidash into silence. Apparently forgetting her "impending death," the Rapidash seems to meditate on this question a moment, before responding in a resigned tone, "Sorry, ma'am... Haven't the slightest. Just call me Rapid, I guess." Urth gives Rapid a compassionate chirp, and apparently seems to be offering the mecha-horse help in remembering.

"Well... if y'can, I'd be mighty grateful," Rapid chortles. The Natu flies with her little turban behind a curtain, and appears to be looking for something as Selene turns her attention back to Alice, taking her left hand and focusing on the palm reading she promised.

"Let's see... Overall, you are a free-spirited, independent young lady. You are curious and social, but prone to worries and anxiety. You are a gifted communicator, but you may overrationalize your feelings and emotions. At your worst, you are shallow, spiteful and cold... However, at your best, you are capable of thinking in radical, often innovative ways." Selene then narrows her eyes in concentration, focusing in on particular lines. Selene smiles a bit. "You have less interest in romance than other young women your age, but you may find yourself falling in love more easily than you would expect. This little fact about yourself is important to keep in mind, now more than ever." Selene's eyes drift down Alice's hand. "You are able to separate your heart and your mind; you are clear-thinking, focused and creative. Whatever issues you will face now will likely have nothing to do with a lack of clear thinking on your part." The fortune teller giggles a bit. "Of course, none of this is really helping with the question at hand, is it? Hmm, let me see..." Selene gently traces line three with her index finger. "You have a great enthusiasm for life, and you are destined for a life full of adventure. Ah, but what adventures await you now? A-HA!" Selene cries out with excitement. "Here we are... It seems as if you are easily manipulated... by others? No, by your own fears." Selene stops tracing the line and focuses intently. Her eyes are so focused, they seem to be glowing faintly... "Ah, but I cannot tell... Which is worse? Trusting your animal instinct for survival, or going against what you know to be a losing battle? Your lifeline is burning... everything... everything is burning..."

Normally, fear comes in a wave of cold sweat, but a sudden feeling of heat surrounds Alice... As she looks up, the velvet tent surrounding her and Rapid appears to be covered with flames! Before Alice can even react, however, the vision of fire is gone in a blink, leaving the tent completely unharmed. "...What was I saying again?" Selene blinks, as if hit by momentary amnesia. "Oh, yes... It seems as if whatever path you take, you will ultimately have to face a terrible fear. Be strong, Alice."

Meanwhile, the little Natu seems to have found what she was looking for: producing a Natu-sized Ouija board, the little creature flies over to Rapid and sets the device down, perching itself on the lens. Her good eye glows brightly, and the Natu zooms around the Ouija board, apparently searching the past for Rapid's true name... After a moment of dizzying movement around the board, the Natu stops, hopping off the board dizzily. After shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she relates what she perceived in a series of chirps. The mechanical Rapidash tilts its head, clearly not sure what to make of the revelation.

"Hold yer' horses, kiddo... Yer' not makin' any sense. You could not find my real name, but y' found my true name? And what kinda name is Cowgirl, anyhow? I think I'munna' stick with Rapid, iffn' y'don't mind..."

Selene's eyes suddenly widen. "Go... GO... quickly, now...!" Selene stands up in such a hurry that she knocks her elaborate chair down, and she begins pushing Alice out the door! "No time to waste, just GO!" The Rapidash notices this, and kicks behind itself with one steel leg as a warning to Selene that any sudden or harmful movements towards Alice will be paid for dearly.

How will Alice respond?

Alice nodded to Selene's explanation. She didn't know about all of these things as much as a professional would, only basing her assumption on popular culture and heresay. The symbolism of The Death made sense to her, as intimidating as it sounded, and whilst change of some things worried her, the rookie trainer was anticipating what that possible change could be.

As the fortune teller read her palm, the girl's lips parted in awe. She had found that her horoscopes, Aries and Rooster generally matched up with her, but the woman before her was speaking like she knew exactly how she was. It was true that she was laid back, but when anxieties struck they could rule over her. There was a reason that Torchic had yet to assist her on an adventure. Alice rarely held grudges, but when they did, they held out and she could be incredibly cold. Shallow... In some ways. She was a spoiled only child.

Nodding again, the young woman acknowledged that indeed, she had a little less interest in romance than others her age. Her past was responsible for that: most people her age had started their journeys long before her and traveled away, and she wasn't the most popular or prettiest of girls. There was simply no point in pining over those who would not reciprocate, and so Alice fawned over celebrities like idols and actors instead. But did this mean her adventure would relate to matters of the heart, or... Fear?

Before she could even manage a scream, the tent had been set ablaze, her skin scorching beneath her clothes, and then fizzled away so that not even smoke or the smell of burning remained. The eighteen year old almost missed Natu and Rapid - or Cowgirl's - exchange in her frantic glancing about the place for flames or culprits of the illusion. Facing a terrible battle, perhaps because of her heart, where everything burned - including her life.

Alice vaguely listened to the robot and Natu's exchange. Cowgirl as a true name? There wasn't much time to deliberate on it before she was pulled to her feet and almost pushed out of the door, body wrought with the shakes and tension. "No, wait!" The trainer cried, trying to resist despite her small frame, moving closer to Rapid, "You haven't told us where we should go into the park next! We need to help Rapid find out who she is!"

[uhhhhh]

uhhhhh- Connor finally decides to remark on the rudeness he has been experiencing since the moment he met Sam, which seems to be a trait the group shares with the smart-talking 'floon... Of course, the inflated Pokemon do not seem to react at all to his suggestion that they could have phrased their response to his guess more respectfully. As the Drifloons then explain how difficult it has been to find an escape to their mirror-filled prison, Connor first thinks about how silly it seems for even the aimlessly floating Drifloon to get lost in a mirror maze meant for family entertainment. After all, the architects of this maze couldn't have been that brilliant, and even if they were, the place had been built with small children in mind as well as adults. That said, Connor also realizes that stranger things have happened in this place; getting that hopelessly lost in the House of Mirrors may not have been what the builders of this place intended, but they also probably did not intend on parkgoers getting attacked by demon balloons, either! As the drama unfolds regarding Sam's wife, Connor can't help but feel for the little purple creature, even despite his churlish demeanor. It was a fate Connor probably wouldn't wish on anybody, least of all someone who had helped him avoid a terrible curse. Connor didn't even want to think about what might have happened to Sam's little boy...

Gaspard and his trainer are quick to agree to helping the lost group of 'floons, despite Connor's bad sense of direction. The group considers Connor's question thoughtfully before Sam himself responds.

Well... we have options. There has to be an exit somewhere, but we don't know...

That much about it, another continues. It could be locked, or blocked off.

Any way out is a good way out, Sam says after reinflating. What ideas do you have, everyone?

One Drifloon suggests to look for large cracks in the mirrors, or broken mirrors that lead to other parts of the maze. One suggests checking the floorboards; the Drifloon did find this basement home after noticing a loose floorboard, after all, and perhaps another basement cavern might have an exit. A third 'floon, who speaks human language a bit more clearly than the others, suggests that there may be hints for young children posted around the maze if they were lost, but since human skills like the ability to read were among the first things to go in the 'floon's memories, they would not have been able to utilize such hints. One of the little balloons asks what reading is, and Sam shakes his head... Seems as if the Drifloon asking the question may be the next to experience a Blankout. Anything suspicious should be inspected, another balloon Pokemon advises, though yet another suggests that inspecting every little thing might take too much time.

The Drifloon argue amongst themselves for a bit on this point; how does one define "suspicious" or "important" in this crazy House of Mirrors? After a heated, air-filled discussion, the 'floons turn to Connor, one by one.

Sam is the last to turn to Connor and Gaspard, and he lets out a little, airy sigh. Well, you're our would-be rescuers... What do you think we should be on the lookout for? He takes a breath. Just let us know, and we'll start the search.

How will Connor and Gaspard respond?

As soon as Connor had asked them ideas on how to get out, the Drifloons had started a heated discussion among themselves. He and Gaspard sighed, "This is going to take a while..." he thought. His Aipom agreed with him on this too.

He was then given at least three suggestions as the Drifloons discussed. One of them was looking for the large cracks in the mirrors, another one was looking for cracks underneath the floorboards, and the third one was checking for anything written that Connor could read for them. Connor thought for a long while for a decision as Gaspard, Sam, and the other Drifloons just stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Each of the choices are good, but they also may not help us in finding a way out... for one, the cracks behind the mirrors may only just lead to more into this maze, and the other two seem unlikely. I honestly doubt that there would be a cavern underneath leading us out. Why the need to make one as such? Even if this place has already been to crazy, I doubt that there would be one as such. I also don't think there would be anything that would be written to help us lead us out either. Whoever made the curse most likely had no intentions in letting the Drifloons out and I doubt they'd be idiotic enough to just leave some hints in the form of writings... even if the Drifloons don't know how to read." Connor thought thoroughly as he looked at the Drifloons. Perhaps he may have been overthinking it a bit but he knew they still had to try, even though he has no idea where to start. At least if they did, he can confirm at least something, whether they actually find a way out or not is a different story.

With a heavy sigh and deciding to leave it to fate, he used the Poketch on his wrist and opened the Roulette function. He wrote the three choices the Drifloon gave him on the wheel and started spinning it. The arrow pointed towards the third option: looking for written hints that may help them out.

"Hmm... you guys said that you all forgot how to read right? I think that's a good place to start. I still know how to read after all, so I'll be able to read it aloud for you guys. As long as it's in English of course..." he said. "Right, we'll start looking for that around the maze. We'll look for anything that you can't read and compile them together and I'll read it aloud for you guys," he nodded.

An idea suddenly crossed his mind, but decided to leave that one for later, "I wonder... what if the exit is just right there all along? There was that trick with the balloon not appearing on the mirrors. I wouldn't be surprised if somehow these Drifloon's visions, and perhaps even mine and Gaspard's, have been somehow affected that we can't see the exit directly... just like the balloon's reflection, or rather lack of, before. But even I have to admit that this theory of mine's way too absurd. Even so... I'm saving this one until then."

[Balmund]

Bamund- It was now or never, and if Balmund and William were ever going to win this match, the pair was going to have to take some serious risks. William inhales deeply, and while Balmund issues his orders, he appears to be making a split-second decision.

As Durandal begins whipping up a strong Tailwind behind himself and his battle partner, William reaches quickly into his bag, and motions for Averil to perform another Dragon Dance as he explains what the pair of dragon trainers are doing to the crowd, quickly throwing two objects at each of the Dusknoir. The objects land perfectly in position beneath the Dusknoir, not hitting anyone or anything on the way. "Move outta' the way, everyone! You've seen their power, sure... but just how accurate are these dragons? Can they snipe these Pokedolls from where they're standing now, given all these obstacles? We'll find out!!" Though Balmund can sense William's nervousness, the crowd seems oblivious to his fear, and immediately begin clearing to one side or the other. The Dusknoir Hold Position, but as they watch the crowd parting in two, they quickly realize that their plan to turn the dragons on the onlookers may end up failing miserably.

Duran quickly finds that the area of the Dusknoir's gravity-raising attack did NOT extend into the crowd, which is likely why they did not react to the sudden change in weight... Indeed, they did not feel it because they were not affected by it! Finding himself much lighter than before, Duran swoops into the air, Flying high above the crowd, who are fascinated by Durandal's power and majesty in flight. Averil, quickly perceiving Durandal's ability to defy gravity outside the initial battle area, quickly runs up towards where the crowd was sitting, jumps up onto a table and unleashes a Dragon Pulse from her position, which flawlessly decimates the toy that William threw (much to the crowd's delight), but hits just a moment too late as the Dusknoir dodges out of the way. The Dusknoir opposite Durandal realizes that he is unable to hit him, so he instead joins his fellow Dusknoir in firing black beam of Night Shade towards Averil... both of which completely miss, bouncing aimlessly into a wall as Averil dodges out of the way, hopping on one foot and pretending to wind up for her next attack... most-likely a claw-based assault.

Durandal comes flying down with a vicious Dragon Rush; unfortunately, much like Averil, his attack only manages to damage the Pokedoll, as the Dusknoir smoothly dodges the attack. The other Dusknoir is not so lucky... Averil charges like a mad woman at the remains of the Pokedoll, slashing with Dragon Claw as if uncontrollably consumed with rage. The snow of stuffing rains down on the benches, and even some of the parkgoers, who are in awe of what a dragon in a state of madness looks like... What matters to William and Balmund, however, is that this attack is the last thing the Dusknoir opposite Averil sees before blacking out, its body falling to the ground noiselessly before disappearing entirely. The other Dusknoir, seeing what Averil has done, floats with incredible speed over to her, decking her hard with an Ice Punch. Once again, she stoically takes the hit, but Durandal can see her masking a visible cringe with a mask of pure rage.

"Those dolls were my daughter's," William mutters to Balmund, "but I had to do it." Balmund senses a great weight behind that statement as William pulls away, enthusiastically cheering Averil on for her "beautiful performance." Of course, Balmund, Durandal and Averil all understand that his congratulations goes deeper than that.

Durandal remains invincible with high health and no status ailments. Averil, on the other hand, is looking beat, and people are audibly questioning whether William is "working her too hard"... In fact, some glares are definitely being shot his way for abusing his Pokemon in such a way for entertainment. William is visibly worried that if the Dusknoir continues to target Averil, that she may be a casualty of this match, just like her opponent. The remaining Dusknoir is somewhere between half health and 1/4th, if Balmund had to guess; it was looking relatively as he did in the last round, though the burn was still steadily sapping its health.

What will Balmund and Durandal do?

Ah, so close! At least one of the Dusknoir where down now thanks to Averil's endeavors, and Balmund's gambit had finally revealed without a shadow of a doubt which were the limits to Gravity's area of effect, though unfortunately failing to take out the other Dusknoir and, in turn, having Averil pay dearly for it. She was taking the hits like a champ alright, for the both of them, in fact, and it was only a matter of time before it became too much to bear. Ganging up an her like that, how low can those Dusknoir get? Do they have no pride? Do they show no shame? Duran would certainly make him pay for that. They had done far too much mischief already, even costing two of William's dear mementos, his daughter's dolls.

Balmund could feel how much that decision was weighing in on him, and Balmund was wondering if keeping the facade was truly worth such a sacrifice. A part of him was done playing games, and simply wanted to cut down the chase, and order his Pokémon to take out the threat as fast and efficiently as possible. Time was ticking against them, they wouldn't have time to sit around and sign autographs and stand for pictures and whatnot. Yet, if William was willing to sacrifice so much for the sake of it, it would be only right for Balmund to honor that wish.

"Averil has been demonstrating too hard, eh, Will?" Balmund fakes a smug grin. "I think it's time for her to rest and let the true star here shine for the crowd already." He playfully taunted, and though Balmund kept the silly grin plastered on his face, he looked at Will with intense eyes, almost begging him with a slight nod to listen. Averil may perhaps be too proud to idly stand and do nothing after taking such offense from the Ghost-type, but she would listen to her trainer's words. "I'm serious, man, you've done a lot already. Please trust Duran's strength now." He then muttered, ever locking his eyes with that of the ex-gangster's own.

"He's mine!" Durandal had simultaneously roared to the female dragon, in slight part out of concern of her well-being, but mostly out of intense desire to be the one to take out his mark, plus his reluctance to accept any aid against a single opponent.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I think we can all agree who's the better dragon, yes? Now behold for this is a sight one rarely ever gets to witness in person. Duran," he pointed to his mark, "Fly and swoop in with all your might once again before letting it rip with your mighty Outrage. Dazzle everyone with the legendry destructive force of dragons! All of you who value your lives, move aside!"

[Shadowshocker]

Shadowshocker- The scientist Shadow finds himself presented with a number of questions, many of which have frightening implications; certainly, there were rumors and strange reports regarding the Ghost Train incident in the Phantom Isle Theme Park. These bits of information often claimed that "ghosts" or "hauntings" had prevented any meaningful attempts at reconstruction from taking place since the incident, which implied some measure of malevolence on the part of the spirits inhabiting the park. That much was known even by people without access to a top-secret intelligence network... but why had these hauntings spread to the Hotel? More importantly, why were these spirits acting so friendly and helpful when their counterparts in the Park were rumored to be malicious and cruel? Was it all an act, or could these ghosts be the result of an entirely different phenomenon? Who knows, maybe the intel about the park itself had been flawed... Perhaps the spirits only sought to protect their home from those who would significantly alter it or make it less inhabitable for ghosts. Shadow knows that the answers to these questions can only be found by exploring the Hotel for himself, but without the assurance that these spirits truly mean no harm, it is a hard reality for Shadow to accept...

Pyrrhos chuckles a bit at the eccentric little Chatot on Shadow's shoulder. "I will do no such thing," he says in response to her random outburst regarding messing up her clothes. "I do agree that we should move forward, however." Indeed, Shadow seems to agree with the more rational of Scherza's statements, and allows himself to move forward under the watchful eye of the Chandelure. The scientist asks to be directed to the Boutique; Pyrrhos nods in agreement, and uses one of his candle-arms to point in the direction of the stairs. "This way, sir... I do not believe I caught your name. I apologize." Pyrrhos bows his head with a bit of embarrassment at the social faux pas before slowly floating in the direction of the stairs, moving so that Shadow and his two bird companions could easily follow behind. As the ghostly chandelier makes its way towards the Boutique, he occasionally stops and waves at what initially appears to be nothing; as he waves his candle-covered appendage in the direction of what he is greeting, however, it becomes apparent that he is greeting a spirit wandering the halls of the Hotel. Shadow continues to find it remarkable at how friendly these ghosts are, and how they all seem to know Pyrrhos... A particularly energetic young girl even jumps up and down upon seeing Pyrrhos, clapping her hands excitedly! Shadow watches the girl's display with vague interest, wondering what has her so excited. The girl seems equally happy to see Shadow, and waves to him as well. Shadow thinks that she is about to say "Hello," but only the first syllable escapes her lips before her greeting is+ cut off by Chandelure's flame, which draws away from the girl, causing her to disappear from Shadow's mortal vision.

Finally, Pyrrhos leads Shadow and his pair of ladybirds to what appears to be the hotel's gift shop; the sign above the store simply says "Boutique". Though the architecture of the shop indicates that the store was originally intended for high-end merchandise and the finest toiletries for the well-to-do clients that once called the Hotel their second home in the past, little statues out front of adorable Pikachus carrying bags full of theme park merchandise and a Ducklett trying on a funny hat suggest that the "Boutique" was rennovated in the more recent past to include all sorts of Theme Park memorabilia. The windows appear to have been smashed in (perhaps by robbers), and Shadow makes a mental note to beware of broken glass when he enters the store. Pyrrhos shakes his head. "It amazes me how greedy humans can be... Trying to steal from the dead! How dreadful. I certainly hope that was not your intent in coming here..." Pyrrhos chuckles. "Ah, but you don't strike me as the thieving type. More the curious sort... am I right?" The Chandelure gazes intensely at Shadow and his companions for a moment before continuing. "Of course, no one can resist a bit of treasure, can they? I might be able to help you in that regard... Or, if you wish to speak to the spirits who inhabit the Boutique, I may be able to assist in such an endeavor, as well. The choice is yours."

Certainly, both options are enticing. While a treasure hunt may provide some fascinating items and material wealth, the information held by the spirits of the Boutique may provide a certain wealth in their own right... How will Shadow respond?

OOC: Couple of things to note. Something I forgot to do was include Dahlia's last updated level to reflect her new experience in accordance to new terms, so with the previous level-up she's now Lv.18 from Lv.17. For the sake of flavour text and context, Scherza speaks exclusively in quotes from videogames that I'm familiar with and random, popular memes; the quotes she screamed in the previous update are taken from Karin Koenig's victory quotes in Shadow Hearts: Covenant.

Shadow observed the battered, worn merchandise that littered the shop, painting a somewhat disconnected montage of discarded paraphernalia. Dahlia muttered unintelligible grumblings from her beak, clearly not impressed by what the abandoned Boutique had to offer. Scherza merely shook her metronome tail from side to side in a surprisingly regular tempo that contrasted with her erratic, habitual interjections. Floating about them, Pyrrhos continued with his friendly conversation, making astute pointers that roused the scientist's attention. The hypothesis that the Boutique was less haunted thankfully proved to be accurate, but now that the question was asked of him, why had Shadow decided to journey into the haunted theme park to begin with?

Thinking back, the ex-KND operative began to relist the team's priorities. Pecuniary resources were by no means high on the list; over the years the team had filled their coffers quite adequately. Searching for more team members to fill the roster was certainly an important priority, but it seemed inappropriate to directly request a tour of hunting grounds. Looking over the two ladies perched on his shoulders Shadow reminded himself that experience was what he needed to give to the newer comrades such that they could improve themselves; the Phantom Isle was merely one of such experiences he hoped the team could be built upon. This left one question: what were they going to do now? There certainly wasn't sufficient information to go about doing anything, and in some way, they weren't any closer to achieving anything than they were in the lobby. The only option was to seek the help and advice from their intermediary guide.

"Pyrrhos... could you tell us about what happened at the hotel? Why are the spirits all trapped here, seemingly unaged?"

[Takeo]

The Park

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Merry-Go-Round: Looks just like a normal Merry-Go-Round right? Think again. Take the trip of a lifetime, or maybe just your life, and see what mysteries lie within the maze beneath the Merry-Go-Round. Not such a fun-filled looking ride now is it?

--Having arrived on Phantom Isle by boat, Hallow happily walked up to the rusted gates of The Haunted Amusement Park--

Hallow took it all in,
"...the creepiest place on earth huh?, Phantom Isle..."
Grace let out a rather sleepy...*yawn*, Grace was Hallow's Vulpix, his starter and most loyal friend,
"Oh come on now, don't be like that,"
Grace shook, trying to stoke herself up, but it didn't really seem to make much difference,
Hallow laughed lightly, "I'll take what I can get,"
They entered the Broken Gates leading into the Theme park.
Hallow froze, Grace got just a few feet ahead of him before stopping herself to turn and look back at him.
Its nothing, thought Hallow, but he just couldn't shake this eerie feeling they were being watched. Since we got off the boat?, couldn't be, no one knew we were coming out here,
He looked at Grace, and to ensure her everything was alright said,
"Ah!, its nothing Grace, I just thought I left something on the boat...thats all,"
Grace didn't believe him.

--Looking over the directory--

"Looks like theres lots of fun stuff to do. How about we check out the Rollercoaster?"
An hour later.
"Huh? That's weird...,"
"The directory said I'd get to the Rollercoaster if I went North,"
Grace wrote the word East in dirt.
"EHHHHHHH....WE WENT EAST!?"
Grace nodded in agreement.
"Hahaha looks like we're lost again,"
Grace jumped on Hallow's shoulder, barking in a big fuss,
"Alright calm down, we'll manage some how," patting her on the head,
"We always do," reinforcing her,

--As they walked in complete darkness with just the moon lighting their path, off in the distance music started to play and a beautiful array of lights blinded their sight--

With bright lights, the pokemon statutes all looked to be in a fierce race for their live's
"Well its not a Rollercoaster but hey, lets give it a whirl!"
Hallow lifted Grace into his arm's, and took a seat on an Arcanine Statue.
Holding Grace close to him in one arm, while holding steadily to the pole with the other, the ride started to move.

[Stats.]

[poketim2]

poketim2 - The Jirachi seems shocked the moment that Brier begins speaking. "Oh, wow, you speak the language of Pokemon? How wonderful!" Of course, this comment confuses Brier, who was pretty damn certain he was speaking English the entire time... Meanwhile, the odd man in the mirror keeps calling out for Marcus. Who was this Marcus, anyway...?

The shiny Jirachi answers Brier's second question first, as it partially phases through the mirror, grabbing Brier and Jitterz and pulling them through the glass! The pair hurtle forward and land on the soft grass of the thick forest, and find themselves now surrounded by a beautiful forest landscape, complete with the sights, sounds, smells and textures which accompany such a scene. Behind the pair is a large mirror with golden trim depicting some common forest Pokemon: Caterpie, Bidoof, Wurmple and more are depicted with great finery on the edges of the mirror, with brilliant gemstone eyes. For a moment, Brier and Jitterz can see the House of Mirrors reflected in the glass, but it disappears quickly, leaving behind only the reflection of the world in which they now find themselves. The Jirachi continues speaking, in an effort to answer Brier's other question; "A Goldeen has been spotted in nearby Pantoum Isle! The Giratina and Darkrai cannot read their poetry with such a destructive, powerful creature about... The reward for its capture is quite great!" The shiny Jirachi eyes Brier's Joltik. "With a Pokemon as strong as yours, I am certain we could take the fishy menace down as a team! Please, follow Marcus and myself..." Marcus nods, and with a cheerful "MARCUS MARC," he goes off in the direction of what Brier and Jitterz presume to be Pantoum Isle. "By the way, my name is Suonimul, but you can call me Suoni."

As the two trainers and their Pokemon walk towards the Pantoum Isle, Brier can see a whole flock of shiny Articuno resting in a rather large tree in the distance... The moment the Articuno look in Jitterz' direction, however, they fly away in a panic. Brier and Jitterz both look behind and around themselves to see what could have frightened them off, but perceive nothing out of the ordinary. Their search for the source of the legendary ice types' fear is interrupted by Marcus excitedly crying out his own name, as he and Suoni point to an immense clearing within the forest... There appears to be a rather large circle of land within the clearing, which is surrounded by a deep, moat-like body of water at least one-hundred feet across. Marcus and Suoni appear quite unphased by this, however, as they walk right on top of the water as if it were as solid as the ground! "This way, my friends!" Suoni urges them on cheerfully.

What will Brier and Jitterz do?

*Fuwp* Wasw all Brier heard as he fell through the mirror, the air around him seemed non-existant. "Uff, what in the world?" Brier said landing on the grass. "Are we back at home Jitterz?" he said patting himself down only to find that his partner was already facing him from a tree stump in front of him.

"If I didn't remembbber that mirror that we just fell through, I'd say we were. You all right we should be goi..." Jitterz buzz before hitting his head on the mirror, "What, why can't I go back through?" Brier and Jitterz watched as their world disappear leaving only the guilded frame before them.

"Guess we have no choice but to help you...?" Brier waited for a name but recieved not only that but far more. Ignoring what he considered to be very backward knowledge he warmly replied, "Suoni, I'd say you right i that we could take down a Goldeen, so lead the way." Setting off the quartet, namely Brier glimpsed what he thought was a flock of Shiny Articuno which left his neck stuck in a tilted position, that was until they looked toward him and flew off in a panic. They flew at the sight of me, do they think their a bunch of Raikou? Wait they didn't look at me they looked at him, Brier thought, turning his head to face his partner.

"Watt?" the bug replied looking back.

"It's nothing." He spoke through his teeth. Suoni did say something about Jitterz being powerful. Odd considering the context; Jirachi are legends so why would he need us to take care of a single Goldeen? Lost in the racing thought that tried as they might to make two and two of things, Brier almost didn't notice that Pantoum Isle had appeared in the distance.

As the group drew closer they happened upon the moat that surrounded the Isle, Brier and Jitterz stopped and glanced around to find a boat, kayak, or anything that would float them across the water; that was until their vision returned to the Isle where they saw that the man, that they now refered to a Marcus, and Souni were frivolously walking over the water to the Isle.

"Wellzz my mind'z blown, guess we should follow them." chittered Jitterz to his patner and took off with a start towards the water.

"Yeeeaaahhh, mine too." Brier popped a pair of aspurin to try and prevent the headache that was starting to grind his brain and followed his partner.

[Fireray]

Phantom Isle
The Haunted Theme Park

Ghost Train: Enter if you dare - The Ghost Train, the site of the disaster responsible for the closure of the theme park. Ghostly visits from children lost are reported to have scared many a construction crew away from this site while some of the strongest and darkest Pokémon of all are rumoured to dwell within the burnt out remains of this once popular ride.[/size]

Slowly waking to the ghost train Fireray was taking to himself:"It's ok I've got Cyndaquil with his flames I can't be scared." As always Cyndaquil was close to his trainer but today his trainer was nudging him. But as they walked futher towards the ghost train Cyndaquil couldn't understamd why it was closed. Fireray wasn't paying the scenery any attention he was too busy taking to himself that he isn't scared.
"Cynda,"Cyndaquil said nugdging his trainer gently as Fireray got frighted,"quil Cynda Cynda Cynda."
"Don't frighten me like that and what was that I didn't understand you what you said.",Fireray whispered carefully.
"Cynda Quil Cynda Cynda Cynda.",Cyndaquil was nearly shouting with joy. "Cyndaquil not so loud lets not awaken the ghosts that live, but this was definitely a nice theme park. His trainer whispered again. And then before they knew it they were before the ghost train.
"Ok Cyndaquil as soon as we go in keep your flame on your back. If you see anything move in there use Smokescreen then Leer."Fireray said shaking as they both steped inside the train.

OoC:I'm sure if I should really make those move bold?

[gmoyes]

gmoyes- Alex is quick to recognize that while the individual who played this game may not have any of the Pokemon in his Pokedex that require trading to evolve, the person still would have to trade somehow in order to fill up the rest of his Pokedex... After all, how would this individual manage to Pokemon exclusive to Blue version, or the other starters, or the other fossil Pokemon? Then again, considering the number of items this person had, it was clear that he had done some hacking. Perhaps he stopped playing the game before he could finish hacking every Pokemon into his Pokedex, or had some vendetta against Pokemon that evolved exclusively by trade... Whatever the case, it was puzzling, but probably not something worth mulling over too extensively.

Alex also reasons that, since the spirit hackers used a glitch in order to connect to the outside world, perhaps other famous Red Version glitches would have a similar effect. Alex summons up a textbox, and suggests to Red that perhaps the pair should try the Mew glitch or the Missingno. glitch. Red nods, and brings up a textbox of his own:

"Either way, we'll need to catch something that learns FLY... Okay, let's head towards Route 8. We can brainstorm as we travel." The pair walks towards Route 8, with Red making textboxes as he goes. "I honestly like the Mew glitch better, since it's more reliable... but like you said, we have no idea if this guy fought that particular gambler or not. Mew's not in his Pokedex, so it hasn't been captured yet. Not sure what to make of that." The colors and music around them shifts as the pair leaves the eerie Lavender Town. Red inevitably has arrived at a spot in the game where a trainer battle is inevitable; even if he sneaks behind one trainer, the other will spot him and challenge him to a battle. Red boldly walks in front of the female trainer's sprite, but the woman does not respond. Instead, she stares blankly at Red, and something about her lack of responsiveness is eerie to Alex... Outside of the game, she would just blend in with the scenery, no big deal... but in the game, the deafening silence that surrounds her is far more unsettling when placed in a perspective looking directly into the inactive trainer's eyes. Red seems to be feeling uneasy as well, and quickly walks away, only to be met with a grassy field blocked off by a tree. Since the pair are not able to CUT the tree down, Red encourages Alex to follow him to Saffron City, while carefully avoiding any movement that could trigger the gambler from the Mew glitch. As the pair walks into Saffron City, Red becomes talkative again. "Of course, this guy clearly has been using some kind of item duplication glitch, which involves MissingNo, right? It's a riskier glitch to mess with, but may be more effective for what we're trying to achieve. Who knows? All I know is that I have 99 Master Balls, so we can catch whatever we want. Hey, um..." Red trails off. "Actually, never mind... I was going to ask what you were like outside the game, but hopefully I'll be able to find out for myself when we get out of here, heh!"

Finally, the two of you make it to Route 7 (which has the same theme as Route 4), where a patch of grass lies waiting to be explored. It doesn't take long for the familiar battle theme to begin playing as the screen flashes, indicating a wild Pokemon encounter. As luck would have it, a wild PIDGEY appears, at Lv.19. Though Red calls Alex out onto the battlefield, Alex knows instinctively that a true battle won't really be taking place this time around; as expected, a Master Ball flies through the air, which captures the Pidgey without fail. Red, for some reason, decides to nickname the Pidgey "FREEDOM". When the screen fades back to the two trapped souls on Route 7, one of Red's textboxes appears; "Hopefully, it'll live up to its name, right?" Alex can almost hear a ghostlike laughter emanating from Red's sprite. As Red goes through the appropriate steps to teach the Pidgey how to Fly, his textboxes overlap the menus. "So, we have the Pidgey... I'm replacing its GUST with FLY, okay? Not that it matters... What DOES matter is which glitch we end up doing. I think it should be up to you."

Indeed, perhaps it should be up to Alex... While this Red seems to have his heart in the right place, he may not have the same strategic mind as a man who has been granted the analytical power of a Porygon.

How will Alex respond?

Alex bobbed a sad nod as the Red nicknamed the Pidgey Freedom. He hoped its name would ring true though the pokemon would only be used for transport and cannon fodder. At least in the game the pokemon were only pieces of data and didn't do a thing besides battle. Most likely we had to leave it once we got out of the game.

When Red turned to Alex to ask him which glitch to go after, he paused and thought. Missingno would be easy to find but potentially more hazardous to their situation. The Mew glitch would be harder to trigger but not as dangerous. Also because the had a ton of Master Balls they would have no problem catching it. "I THINK WE SHOULD GO AFTER THE MEW GLITCH, BUT AT ANY POINT WE FIND OURSELVES UNABLE TO DO IT, WE ABANDON IT AND HEAD AND CINNABAR." He paused and thought back on their little jouney from Lavender to where they where now. "I BELIEVE WE MAY ALSO NEED CUT TO GET INTO THE GRASS AT ROUTE 8. IF WE ABANDON THIS FOR SOMETHING ELSE, WE MIGHT NOT GET ANOTHER CHANCE." Alex inwardly sighed. This adventure was way beyond what he expected.

[Itzatrap]

Itzatrap- Rob can't help but wonder why the little Patrat would be so reticent to take a ride on Mantine Mania with him, while at the same time being so eager to show them where he found his earring. Arceus willing, Rob would be able to find out what frightened the Patrat so about the kiddie attraction, provided that this quest for treasure did not lead to Rob and Melantha's demise... It was a scary thought, but one that Rob prepared himself for, as the search for treasures such as Patrat's magnificent earring often came with great risk. Either way, Rob decides that he will follow the Patrat's instructions, but not without first making an interesting request... Despite Melantha's embarrassment, the little chipmunk-like creature's fuzzy, chubby cheeks are too much for Rob to resist, and with the Pokemon thus far appearing to be quite friendly, Rob insists upon asking to squeeze the Patrat's chubby cheeks. The Patrat pauses for a moment and considers Rob's request before eventually nodding; it does a bit of shifting with its mouth, pushing its left cheek with its free hand and deflating it somewhat, while the right expands to twice its size; Rob quickly figures out that the Patrat is moving one of the berries stored in its cheeks to the other cheek, so that Rob doesn't squish one of the Patrat's stored berries. The Patrat then bares *its empty left cheek for Rob to feel.

Rob squeezes the little cheek, and finds its skin and fur to be soft and very pliable. Rob imagines that a Mew's cheek must have that same fuzzy feeling, though maybe not the same level of elasticity. In fact, Rob can pull the cheek out to some distance without causing the Patrat any pain, and then snap it back into place! This discovery could provide hours of simple amusement, but the Patrat stops Rob by taking a gentle, but firm grasp of Rob's hand. With both trainer and Absol holding hands with the mysterious rodent, Rob and Melantha suddenly feel a shiver run down their spines. The Patrat's eyes and earring begin to glow ominously; both Rob and Melantha find the Patrat's grip much stronger than before, and though the Patrat seems to be taking great care not to hurt either of them, neither can break free of this newly-strengthened hold. A voice echoes through their minds, as a blinding white light suddenly fills the lobby of Mantine Mania; Coordinates confirmed. Transport in 3... 2... 1... The light becomes so incredibly bright that both Rob and Melantha are temporarily blinded; they then feel the ground drop from under them as the strong feeling of being lifted overtakes them. It was as if the pair was being dragged towards the sky...

After a few disorienting moments, Rob and Melantha regain their vision, though both find their first few steps in this new, strange area to be wobbly and uncoordinated as they regain their balance. They find themselves in a stainless steel room, with minimal decoration and no apparent entrances or exits. The Patrat that the pair had held hands with just moments before seems to be nowhere in sight. The only windows in the room appear to be a row of circular windows on the floor. Both Rob and Melantha find themselves intrigued by these windows, and as they peer into the nearest one, they are shocked to see the entirity of the Phantom Isle Haunted Theme Park sprawled out beneath them. The sounds of mechanical whirring and clicking seem to be all around them. Could it be...?

Once again, a voice echoes within Rob and Melantha's heads; Welcome to our humble facility, Fizzylings, the voice says with a rather amicable tone. One of our field researchers seems to have found you intriguing enough to be worthy of study. Please, do not be alarmed! As you have not caused harm to our researcher, we do not intend to cause you any harm, either. Of course, we may eventually decide to squeeze your cheeks to see what they feel like... The voice chuckles. Only joking, of course. Please direct your attention to the Pokeballs in the center of the room.

Sure enough, when Melantha and Rob look towards the front of the metallic room, three metallic boxes have materialized exactly where the voice has directed. The typings on these Pokeballs have been switched around. All three are typed incorrectly. You may only call out one Pokemon; the other Pokeballs will lock the moment you do. Your first task - a simple one, really - is to rearrange the type symbols so that they are correct. Take your time, as there is no limit.

Rob inspects the Pokeballs, examining the little symbols on each, which appear to be fastened to each Pokeball with a magnet. One has what appears to be a little blue raindrop, one has a little bolt of lightning, and the third has both.

What will Rob and Melantha do?

"Huh, it's so soft and nice..." While the squezee's check did not belong to whom he wanted it to belong to it, Rob felt content that he could squeeze the little Patrat's cheek. He continued to squeeze and play with it, until it seemed that the Patrat had enough as it grabbed Rob's hand. "Okay, guess we are done with that." The young trainer said nervously, noticing the change in the Patrat's eyes, which seemed to be glowing. It also seemed like the little critter had no intention of letting go of its new friends as the strength of its grip was tighter. A light began to glow, before a voice seemed to invade his mind, Coordinates confirmed. Transport in 3... 2... 1... "What? Coordinates? Transport?" But it was too late to do anything as a weird sensation filled both Melantha and Rob.

"Ugh..." The room seemed to be spinning and blurry. "What's going on? Where are we?" Was what the trainer tried to say to Melantha as he made out her presence, but probably sounded like gibberish to her as she herself was as confused and disoriented as he was. Steel was all around, it felt like a cage, just for them. "Tricked by a Patrat..." he thought to himself with no trace of the rodent anywhere nearby, but he finally noticed a window, only is revealed something that stunned both trainer and Pokémon. "How did we get here?" Was all the trainer could ask, as Phantom Isle Haunted Theme Park seemed to be right underneath him, and it was obvious Melantha was just as confused and shocked as her trainer.

The voice once again started, and it felt like it was invading their minds, Welcome to our humble facility, Fizzylings, One of our field researchers seems to have found you intriguing enough to be worthy of study. Please, do not be alarmed! As you have not caused harm to our researcher, we do not intend to cause you any harm, either. Of course, we may eventually decide to squeeze your cheeks to see what they feel like... Rob felt enraged as he heard that, and a chuckle, feeling completely betrayed by the Patrat, or was it even a Patrat, he though to himself, probably not. But he could not let them see it if they could see him, so he only smiled. The voice then continued, Only joking, of course. Please direct your attention to the Pokeballs in the center of the room.

Both turned, completely surprised by the three boxes that appeared out of nowhere. The typings on these Pokeballs have been switched around. All three are typed incorrectly. You may only call out one Pokemon; the other Pokeballs will lock the moment you do. Your first task - a simple one, really - is to rearrange the type symbols so that they are correct. Take your time, as there is no limit.

Three symbols seems to distinguish the Pokéballs from each other, one having a raindrop, one a lightning sign and the other having both. Hopefully doing what the voice wants would eventually lead to them to let Rob and Melantha free. Both felt helpless, but they knew they would find an opportunity to find out more about what was going on, question was when it would be possible. "I choose this one." Rob held the Pokéball with the lightning on it in his hand, ready to release whatever is inside. Both Pokémon and trainer looked at each other, ready to protect each other if needed.

[Marion Ette]

((This is a reminder to everyone that in order to ensure that I am able to maintain a decent updating pace while still balancing the demands of work and school, I am enacting a HARD CAP, which means that I will NOT be taking any new updatees for the time being. To those who posted their introductions in Phantom Isle, I apologize for the continued wait, but hopefully one of the other ZAs will be able to pick your stories up at some point.))



Dark Searchman - Hyrem ultimately decides on a compromise, which seems to satisfy both of the Frillish siblings; in a strained, urgent voice, he orders them to move forward toward the red light of the Main Chamber, but encourages them to poke out as many eyes as they can on the way. As the pair of Frillish float by, they manage to take out eight eyes on the way, or one for each tentacle. Two eyes remain in the corridor, recovering from blindness, but currently not a threat to the team. Though the fact that there are so few eyes left is clearly irking the blue Frillish, who shakes his tentacles at them menacingly, he respects Hyrem's wish to move forward and does so without question. After all, the infected trainer's face is starting to look rather gaunt, and the skin around his eyes is beginning to swell and darken, as if bruised. Clearly, the Frillish's sister is right; there isn't much time.

The four aquatic travelers cautiously position themselves in the entryway, scoping out the final room of the cave carved to appear like a cathedral. The spacious Main Chamber is illuminated by the eerie red light seen from the corridor, but what makes this light so strange is that the strength of it is entirely uniform across the room, making it difficult for Hyrem to tell where the source is located. With his vision becoming more and more impaired, Hyrem cannot tell exactly how many eyes have been "installed" into the imposing stone walls, but fortunately it appears that many of the nearby "sockets" that have been drilled are still empty, with only a few of the vast number of holes drilled into the rock walls actually filled with an eye. Even so, the widest variety of eyes can be seen in this main room, featuring the ocular organs of people and Pokemon alike. Based on the pattern of how the eyes are distributed and the size of the room, Hyrem estimates that there are roughly 100 pairs of eyes in the room, though the cathedral could easily hold 1000 pairs or more. The group does not know whether to feel comforted that the room is only scattered with eyes and not chock-full of them, or terrified at the number of eyes which the Harvester seems to be planning on ultimately collecting. Of course, the water-filled chamber has a number of things to note aside from the rows and rows of sockets and eyes. In addition to her most infamous collection, the Harvester also seems to have a scattered assortment of items on the ground such as backpacks, broken pokedexes and other trainer paraphrenalia. There also appear to be some corpses nearby, apparently rather fresh, as they do not appear to have decayed much; Hyrem tries squinting, but finds that it hurts his eyes too much to focus... However, he can tell that the corpses are of two young men, likely trainers. Hyrem desperately hopes that these poor souls are not who he thinks they are. From where Hyrem is standing, he can also see some old scuba gear, meant for a small Pokemon. It must have been for emergencies if the dive ride should ever fill with water. He also thinks that he can see some items in the distance, though he cannot make out what they are with his impaired vision. There also appears to be something large in the center of the room, though Hyrem cannot clearly discern what it is at this point.

Destroying eyes, item-raiding, further exploration, Pokemon preparation... Hyrem will have to decide what is important right now in this large and intimidating chamber. He may act on all of those things, or none of them, or pick and choose, but time will always be of the essence. The eyes are watching, after all! In addition, Hyrem can't seem shake the feeling that a difficult battle is on the horizon. He should probably consider listening to his intuition and preparing wisely.



MarbleZone - Having changed both their outfits and their names, Levin and Crix truly feel as if they have transformed into Wallace Dornez of House Hellsinger and Crixus the Undefeated now that they are looking sharp and feeling good about having passed their first test. Fortunately, the pair do not have to wait long before they hear a knock on the dressing room door. The knock is followed by the entrance of a ghostly man with a blue tuxedo and top-hat, designed to vaguely resemble the anatomy of a male Jellicent. The ghostly man, whose ice-blue eyes focus immediately on Levin Wallace Dornez of House Hellsinger, seems a little shocked at the pair that stands before him.

"Live ones, huh...?" Oceanus frowns, closing in on the pair and taking it upon himself to straighten Wallace and Crixus' ties. "Y'know, I was a live one, too. Oceanus is only a stage name... Ruby made me take one. I'm sure he made you take one, too. Got through two talent shows without a scratch. The pay was like nothin' you'd see in a mortal gig. I got too greedy, went for a third... Accidently referred to Lady Aedre as Lady Adreanna. She had me for lunch... literally." Oceanus grins harshly, brushing a bit of stray hair off of Wallace's shoulder. "Stand up straight! No slouching. Anyway, I still get decent pay, but now I'm stuck here in the Hotel as a permanent resident... You ever see my wife, tell her I say hello, all right?" Oceanus laughs. "Heh... What am I saying? Don't wanna give you any false hope now, but we'll see what we can do with you."

After thoroughly inspecting everyone's uniforms once more and barking out a few more orders about pristine posture and maintaining a joyful, yet reserved expression, Oceanus leads the new hires back into the theatre, through a maze of doors and corridors, and up a flight of pristine ivory stairs, which lead to the Luxury Box reserved for the regal Jellicent. The balcony itself is decked out in gorgeous royal blue velvet, embroidered with images of beautiful, serene Phione and Manaphy, and everything from the mahogany chairs to the gold cords draping from the curtains suggests that Ruby spared no expense making these seats absolutely perfect for its intended guests. At the far end of this exclusive seating area is a door labeled "Dining Room." Muffled sounds can be heard from behind the door, though this doesn't seem to phase Oceanus.

"The guests up here will likely arrive early to socialize. Dinner will be served at 6:00, and the show will begin at 7. What time is it n- S**T!" Oceanus, who had previously been checking his watch, reels back as if there was a giant, bloodthirsty Spinarak on his arm. "We don't have much time. Quickly, straighten up! Remember what I told you... Service with a smile, and if they ever get upset, a string of apologies and groveling is all you have between you and certain death." A strange, ghostly laughter echoes from just outside the Luxury Box, which causes Oceanus to visibly shudder. He turns quickly towards the source of the sound, and immediately plasters on a fake smile. "Oh, Arce- Hel-LO Lady Aedre! So good to see you again."

As if on cue, a pink Jellicent with a sparkling lavender cape floats through the wall of the Luxury Box, interrupting Wallace's conversation with Oceanus. The ghostly butler immediately takes the creature's cape and hangs it on a large golden rack, and gives her a deep, respectful bow. He also motions for Wallace and Crixus to do the same.

"My Lady, Ruby has brought-"

"Appetizers? Oh, I daresay these two will not do at all! HMPH." The Jellicent floats over with a surprising amount of speed to Wallace with an irritated look, wrapping her tentacles tightly around him before he can even react. "Why, I could eat this one myself... One gulp. Oh, do not squirm, my lovely, it will all be over soo-"

"LADY AEDRE, he is one of the wait staff!" Oceanus catches himself before his scream becomes too disrespectful; thankfully, the Jellicent immediately gets the message lets go, blushing a bit as she does.

"Oh, you should have told me! Embarrassing me in front of the hired help... Why, I could eat you all over again, dearest~! Dreadful to me as always... but you know how I love you, Oceanus. I could never forget a delicious man such as yourself..." Lady Aedre licks her lips, her face overcome with a rather disturbing expression. Oceanus laughs nervously, though he does a rather terrible job at hiding his discomfort. Even more discomforting is the fact that Lady Aedre notices this... and smiles in a way that suggests that she enjoys watching him squirm.

"Such a charmer, Lady Aedre... I am sure that all is forgiven, right?" Oceanus turns to Wallace and gives him a stern look. Lady Aedre also turns to the only living human in the room, but her face softens considerably as she looks at him.

"Oh, yes. I do apologize, Sir... Oh, what is your name? Surely, you must tell me about yourself! I do so love interesting people... There is absolutely nothing worse than being bored." Lady Aedre sits down in one of the seats, crossing her tentacles as if they were legs, and motions to the seat next to her before beckoning Wallace. "I detest boredom more than anything else in the world. Ah, but you will not bore me, will you? If not, I will have to cut the tongue from your mouth and hope it tastes more interesting than the stories it tells, hehe~!" Though Lady Aedre laughs, Wallace senses that this creature is incredibly serious with her threats. After all, wasn't this the Jellicent that ate Oceanus simply for getting her name wrong...?

How will Wallace/Levin react?



Meetan - Alice immediately protests to Selene's pushing, moving closer to Rapid for protection as she protests that her question has not been answered. After all, what was the point of seeing the Fortune Teller in the first place if she was not given directions on where to go? "I have already told you, my dear! You need to leave the tent. The path will reveal itself, but you must hurry! They are waiting for you. They know that you are here." Alice feels something being shoved into her hand as she is unceremoniously shoved out the door. The Natu says something to Rapid which takes her off the defensive, and Rapid closely follows Alice and Selene, clearly watching to ensure that Alice is not harmed in any way by the shoving.

After having the velvet curtain shut behind them and hearing a door slam, Alice is finally able to examine what has been placed in her hand. The first object is a strange little Nosepass-themed compass which appears to be broken; the needle spins rapidly, completely unable to differentiate North from South. There also appears to be a crumpled piece of paper with the number of Selene's fortune telling service on it. "CALL ME ANYTIME" is written in soft, feminine letters underneath the phone number. Perhaps these items will be useful later on... Obtained the Nosepass Compass. In addition, you are now able to call Selene's Psychic Hotline.

While Alice can ponder Selene's strange gifts, the eerie sound of howling echoes throughout the park; suddenly, the sound of Rapid's neigh and metal cracking bone rings through the air, as a Houndoom that had decided to lunge at Alice is knocked off-course by a wicked Stomp to the side of the head. The hit is so brutal that the creature finds itself totally dazed, initially unable to get up. Rapid's eyes flicker viciously at the Houndoom, clearly upset that it would try and attack a friend of hers. "Yer' goin' down, y'varmint," Rapid shouts at the doglike creature, clearly not about to mess around. The Houndoom barks out something in response, and Rapid immediately translates for you.

"Sounds like yer' wanted Dead or Alive for capturin' some Liepard's baby... Wait, what? They want me fer WHAT?" The Rapidash seems shocked at what the Houndoom barks next, but before Alice can receive a translation, she is shocked by the presence of a Liepard directly behind her! Alice is able to step away just in time from a nasty Scratch, but it looks like Mama Liepard means business. She growls viciously, screeching something in Liepard that likely translates to "Give me back my baby, you %#$#^!" Looks like Alice will need to defend herself, and quickly!

How will Alice respond?



uhhhhh - The Drifloons seem unable to decide on a single course of action, so they turn to Connor for help. The trainer is thoughtful when considering each suggested strategy, noting the benefits and disadvantages of each idea. Taking advantage of cracked mirrors may help bypass a great deal of the maze, but these "shortcuts" may end up simply getting the group more lost than before. The basement area below the House of Mirrors may have its own share of secrets, but Connor believes that it is unlikely that an exit could be found down there. Signs could be helpful, but would it be possible that the "new management" in Phantom Isle had these helpful hints removed or cursed so that people no longer can see them? Certainly, deciding on the best course of action was no easy feat. Fortunately for Connor, there was always his trusty Poketch Roulette to make the decision for him! The Drifloon peek over Connor's shoulder as the Roulette does its magic. Fate decides on checking the signs, and the little 'floon faces all turn towards Connor, hoping he can shed light on what the Poketch has decided. He tells the group that, since Connor has retained his ability to read, they all should be on the lookout for signs for him to read aloud. Though some of the Drifloons mutter and grumble at the fact that their suggestion was not chosen, they generally seem to agree that Connor has made a smart choice.

Well, what are we waiting for? Sam summons everyone with a heart-shaped yellow hand, and points to Gaspard. We'll bring the smaller monkey up top first, then get our forces together to lift the bigger one. Ready, Gaspard? The Aipom nods, apparantly understanding what the Drifloons plan to do. A group of Drifloons gently wrap their string-like appendages around Gaspard's trunk, and lift him up out of their basement home and towards the hole in the ceiling that leads to the Mirror Maze. Gaspard laughs and kicks his feet happily as he is lifted up in the air, and Connor can see the Drifloons carry him safely up to floor above them, setting him down with great care. The group of Drifloons then float back down, and the whole group begin wrapping their appendages around Connor's chest and waist, and with a bit of strain, they all lift Connor up in the air. He floats above the Drifloon's basement home, higher and higher until he is set carefully down beside Gaspard. The Drifloon immediately begin floating down a corridor in one big group, searching for signs. Sam urges everyone to stick together so that no one gets lost.

After a couple of twists and turns, a Drifloon squeaks out in order to indicate that he has noticed a sign. She motions quickly over to Connor and Gaspard, while Sam also peers over the Drifloon's shoulder. Hmmm... T'the left, there's a Machamp liftin' waits... *inhale* and to the right, there's an Alakazam readin... *inhale* a book, and straight ahead is a little Skitty laughing at Haunter... *inhale* with a sheet over it. Sam turns to Connor with a curious expression. Whadda' you make of it, Monkey?

When Connor looks at the sign, he can see that each image is accompanied by a few words. Under Machamp, the words read, "TEST OF STRENGTH." Under Alakazam, the words read, "TEST OF KNOWLEDGE." Finally, under the Skitty laughing at the Haunter, the words read, "TEST OF BRAVERY."

"Well, TEST OF KNOWLEDGE is out," Sam says, after Connor presumably reads the words aloud to the group. "Our memories grow shorter by the day..." He inhales deeply, and turns to Connor and Gaspard. "....and, well, need I say more?" Certainly, Connor and Gaspard could decide to prove him wrong and put their wits to the test. Then again, Sam is right; the Drifloon and their dwindling memories would not be much help in that department. Then again, how would the group of balloon-like Pokemon fare in strength or bravery? Besides, how would these aspects of character even be tested in a mirror maze? The Drifloon, of course, immediately get into an argument once again over what they should do. A good number of them disagree with Sam, and illustrate their disagreement by spouting off random facts, ranging from the date of the Civil War to Pidgey's natural moveset. Another group wants to test their Strength, which they demonstrate by flexing their little string-arms and tossing each other up in the air, loudly voicing their decision. Finally, the group that seeks to test their Bravery put on the most stoic, determined faces they can muster while shouting along with the rest of the 'floons. It's pandemonium all over again! Looks like the decision is once again up to Connor and Gaspard...



Balmund - Averil roars angrily in response to Balmund and Durandal's suggestion that she leave the final Dusknoir to the Salamence, and glares at those members of the crowd who would dare suggest that William was overworking her. The naysayers in the audience who criticized Will for his training methods are shocked into silence by the Haxorus' display of pure, honest loyalty. William, however, respects Balmund's desire to finish the ghostly attacker off once and for all. Though it obviously pains him to do so, he motions for Averil to return to him, and though she gives him an intense look for a few moments, she begrudgingly returns to her trainer's side after being coaxed over with an offering of two berries (Rawst and Sitrus) and a loving pat on the nose. He turns to Balmund with a small smirk.

"You may have won this time around, Duke, but don't look so smug! Averil and I are gonna train even harder, and you'll see that your victory was nothing more than a fluke! Am I right, people?"

William's supporters cheer in response, while Balmund's supporters anxiously await Durandal's incredible show of strength. His Fly attack is impressive, but Dusknoir has had ample time to prepare his Dodge, which works very effectively as he phases out of existence at just the right time. Solidifying after the successful dodge, the Dusknoir attempts to Shadow Sneak behind Durandal, but Durandal whips around with a vicious Outrage which, while missing the target, startles Dusknoir so badly that it stops him mid-attack. Dusknoir attempts a black beam of Night Shade, and manages to hit this time, but Durandal takes the hit without much of a problem, particularly due to the fact that he is in the middle of a frightening outrage. Much to Balmund and William's dismay, some tables and chairs have been smashed to bits in the process...

Durandal's second round of outrage is a similar disappointment; though the crowd finds his rapid, vicious attacking to be awe-inspiring, the Dusknoir remains stubbornly out of reach, though his burn has slowly been eating away at his health. William grits his teeth as he watches the battle; why won't that Dusknoir admit he's lost already? The creature tries to confuse Durandal early with a Confuse Ray, which turns Duran's outrage into a blind, disoriented outrage. Then again, though he cannot see the Dusknoir, that may not actually matter, as Durandal seems to be closing in anyhow...

Durandal staves off confusion for one more round of Outrage. Finally, he makes contact, knocking the creature out cold just before losing momentum. Though dazed and confused, and not quite aware of what is going on around him, Duran has won the match with his honor in tact and his health still above half. The crowd is amazed at the destructive power of the Salamence, and cheer wildly for the winner of the "competition". Level up for Durandal.

William announces to everyone that the show is over, thanks everyone for coming and encourages everyone to clear out while they tend to Durandal, since Balmund's confused Salamence is now tottering dangerously around the food court, after already causing significant property damage with his Outrage. Balmund can see one of the food court employees pointing at him while talking on the phone, likely reporting him to some authority so that he can be "nicely asked" to either pay for the damages, leave the park or put on some nice metal bracelets for impersonating park staff. If Balmund and William are going to fly to the train station, they will first need to deal with Duran's confusion... and the fact that he may destroy even more of the food court in his current condition. William whispers something to Averil, and nods towards Balmund, recalling his precious Haxorus and walking towards the Dragon Tamer.

"Can you get him ready to fly? I hate to be a nag, but we ain't got all day... I'm sure you know that."

One hour and 30 minutes remain until the train leaves the Main Station.

What will Balmund do?



Shadowshocker - ((Dually noted.))

Not one to be easily seduced by the promise of riches or rare goodies, Shadow takes his time thinking about what his team might need, and considers how best to respond to Pyrrhos in order to fulfill those needs. Certainly, a new member would be helpful, but it would be rather awkward to ask a Chandelure where he could capture one of his friends. Training his bird companions was also an important goal to consider when considering his next course of action, but Shadow ultimately comes to the conclusion that he cannot do any of these things without gaining some valuable intel about the Hotel first. After all, the scientist can't shake the feeling that he knows little more about the Hotel and its inhabitants now than he did when he first walked into the lobby.

"Trapped?" Pyrrhos locks eyes with Shadow, a curious grin on his face. "Who said anything about being trapped? You humans and your assumptions..." Pyrrhos chuckles at Shadow somewhat condescendingly. "Indeed, some of our guests are what you would refer to as trapped, but not by any external force... no bars, no magical force. They are trapped by their own inner demons. Ah, but that is not what you are asking, is it?" The Chandelure lifts a candle to his lips and taps his chin thoughtfully with it. "I wish there were one easy answer. Even with the Theme Park, there is no easy answer... Sure, there was the horrific Ghost Train incident, but the horrors go far deeper than a simple train crash. I am sure you've gathered that already. As for the Hotel, the reasons are even more varied. Some are permanent residents, while some are merely guests, passing through on their way. This is still a hotel, after all, and we are open to any wandering soul who decides to pay us a visit. Should you ever find yourself deceased, we would be happy to reserve a room for you!" The Chandelure smirks. "Ah, but I am sure you would rather not think about that. Anyway, some guests died before the train, while some died after. Some even died in the very fire itself. Their spirits have travelled here, wanting desperately to rest... to forget." The Chandelure shakes his head sadly. "Those are truly tragic souls, should you ever meet them."

Pyrrhos begins to float back and forth as if pacing, seeming to think for a moment. He speaks as he paces; "I sense that you are a man who will not be satisfied unless you are given the opportunity to investigate. As I said, the reasons for being here are as varied and diverse as a hotel for living beings.... Have you ever stopped and asked people why they ended up where they did? Why, in all places, an abandoned hotel in Fizzytopia? The answers may surprise you." Pyrrhos stops dead in his tracks, as if struck with a wonderful idea. "I know! The best way to get to know someone is to help them out. Isn't that true? I'm getting to know you quite well myself, after all..." Pyrrhos laughs jovially. "There are always spirits in need of some help in the Hotel. Why, today I got a request from the maids to send someone down for pest control, and I know there is a woman on the third floor who will ask anyone who will listen to help her find her lost Pokemon... Why, even the shop owner here has been looking for someone to give her a hand! My brother and I are busy men, as I am sure you can understand... We don't run the place, of course, but we are a sort of management if you want to call it that. I can serve as the mediator and ensure that your encounters with these ghosts run smoothly. They do not usually appear to the living, but I am certain they will make an exception for you once they see me." Pyrrhos grins, looking rather proud of his influence.

Perhaps Pyrrhos' words of wisdom are something to consider. Besides, providing some help for the spirits may make them more willing to answer the scientists burning questions about the inhabitants of the Phantom Isle hotel...

How will Shadow respond?



poketim2 - It certainly seems odd that a powerful-looking Jirachi would enlist the help of a Joltik to deal with something as common and weak as a Goldeen, but nonetheless, Brier and Jitterz find themselves agreeing to take on this "menace" that seems to be terrifying Pantoum Isle's inhabitants. The pair decide to follow Marcus and Suomi across the water, though Brier makes a mental note to pick up some aspirin for his oncoming headache. This place certainly was beginning to mess with his mind!

Jitterz is the first to take a step on the water, and finds himself being supported as if he were on the ground. Brier, too, is surprised to see that his feet are supported on the water, and though his steps form ripples in the water, and his steps are made slightly unsteady by the small waves coursing through the water, he is able to remain completely afloat as he and Jitterz walk safely across the water with their companions; of course, Marcus and Suoni are far more agile on water than Brier and Jitterz are, causing them to laugh a bit as they watch their new companions cross at some distance behind, their steps awkward and wobbly.

"You two look like you've never walked on water before," Suoni says with a smile.

"MARC MARC MARC!" Marcus says with a laugh.

Despite the playful teasing from their new companions, the pair safely cross into Pantoum Isle, which appears to once have been full of giant libraries and open-air lecture halls, presumably for the Darkrai and Giratina to read and store their poetry; however, a number of these buildings have been completely demolished, as if something big had torn through them. Perhaps this Goldeen was exposed to radiation and happened to be 50-feet tall... A sort of Goldeenzilla, if you will. Fearing the worst, Brier and Jitterz follow their mirror world friends down the path of destuction until they see a cloud of smoke and shrapnel off in the distance. Though Suoni falters, Marcus silently urges the Jirachi on, with Brier and his Joltik following close behind. Eventually, the smoke clears, and the group finds themselves close enough to see what is at the center of the ruins of the former Pantoum Isle: a tiny, non-shiny Goldeen lays on its side in the center of a giant crater, which appears to be on the small side even for its species. Surely, there must be some mistake! How can a little Goldeen-

WHAM. The Goldeen flops its tail, and a giant shockwave blasts forth from the flowing, delicate appendage, creating massive amounts of destruction in its wake. Suoni shudders at the sight of the Goldeen's incredible power, but looks back at Jitterz and seems somehow relieved.

"Okay, you guys can lead the offensive. We'll be right behind you. It is up to you whether you want to catch it or defeat it, but either option is gonna be difficult! We know that your Joltik can handle it, though!"

As Suoni cheers Brier and Jitterz on, he is interrupted by the Goldeen, who begins flopping about. Each flop creates a terrible shockwave of energy so intense that the trainers and Pokemon gathered near it are all knocked down by the vibrations. Each flop makes the crater deeper than before, and Brier and Jitterz find themselves dodging falling books and crumbling walls.

Seems as if little Jitterz and his trainer are expected to lead off the charge against a creature whose looks are very deceiving. What will Brier and Jitterz do?



gmoyes- Red's trainer sprite nods his head in agreement with Alex's decision to exploit the Mew glitch, and a text box appears directly beneath him. "The Mew Glitch does not need CUT, from what I remember. The Mew just kind of appears when you leave Lavender Town, right when you cancel out of the start menu that pops up. It just floats up to you out of the blue. Anyway, let's go back to Lavender Town and find that Gambler!"

After a brief "FLY" animation, Red and Alex find themselves in the eerie Lavender Town once again... The music seems even more grating and high-pitched than Alex remembers, and he wishes he had some equivalent of covering his ears as a Porygon to block out the terrible sound. Fortunately, Red notices Alex's discomfort, and helps him move out of Lavender Town as quickly as possible. The pair look forward to a happier, jauntier tune, but even the upbeat music of Route 8 is beginning to take on a strange quality to it... Alex cannot say for sure, but based on his current analysis, whatever force created such unsettling changes in the Lavender Tower seems to be having some strange after-effects on the rest of the electronic Pokemon world. Though Red himself does not acknowledge the eerie feeling directly, he definitely seems to be moving as quickly as he can.

"You know the plan, right? Fly before the Gambler sees us to Cerulean City, go to Nugget Bridge, fight that trainer with the Slowpoke, fly to Lavender Town and BAM! Mew appears. Hey, I'll bet Mew could even TELEPORT us out of the game! That would be awesome. I hope I get to keep it once we get out..." Red pauses for a moment. "Wishful thinking, huh?"

Red expertly positions himself in front of the entrance of the Underground Path, and takes a single step forward, immediately pulling up the start menu before the Gambler can react to their presence. "I hope this works," a text box reads underneath the menus, as Red calls up Pidgey and orders it to FLY to Cerulean City. As the fly animation begins, Red and Alex are delighted to see the exclamation point appear above the Gambler's head, though the sound of screeching static fills the area for a split second as the two fly off to Cerulean City. After landing at the Pokemon Center, Red's sprite shakes his head, and Alex can hear a ghostly sigh. "I have a bad feeling about this... but we gotta move on." True to his word, Red begins moving North towards Nugget Bridge, with Porygon following behind. As Red and his "Pokemon" make their way past the trainers of Nugget Bridge, Alex can feel the stares of each trainer boring into his soul... Alex never really noticed how creepy these trainers were when playing outside of the game, but when actually weaving between these beaten trainers, Alex can truly appreciate the soullessness of their eyes, and the disturbing stillness with which they stand, bolted in place, captive within the game. The gaze becomes more intense as they go, and Alex can't help but wonder if their judgmental glare is simply a manifestation of Alex's own nervousness regarding the current plan, or something more sinister.

Red takes a right after the bridge, and moves through the familiar maze of shrubbery past the Nugget Bridge, moving past a scattering of silent trainers as he does so. Finally, near the top border of the shrubbery maze, Red sees the trainer in question; the Youngster with the Slowpoke whose dad took him to a great party on the S.S. Anne. Red pauses for a moment before boldly stepping out in front of the trainer; the pair wait for a second or two, and their hearts sink. The trainer does not react at all. Instead, they are met with the empty soullessness of the other trainers. Red clearly looks dejected, and takes a step towards Alex; he is about to form a text bubble to express his disappointment, when the trainer suddenly jumps to life, an exclamation point clear above his head. A shiver seems to go up Red's spine as the trainer approaches him; the intensity of the trainer's walk and expression is far beyond what either prisoner of the game had expected.

"Why did he leave me here alone?" ...Wait, what happened to all that nonsense about the party on the S.S. Anne in Vermillion City? Was this trainer referring to his father? What was going on, here? Either way, the battle screen pops up as normal, except that when the Youngster claims to send out Slowpoke, it is no longer a Slowpoke, but an odd clump of pixels only vaguely shaped like the dopey Pokemon in question. In addition, the "Slowpoke" is no longer Lv.17... It is Lv.120. The options remain the same: FIGHT, PKMN, ITEM or RUN. Alex knows that if he chooses "fight," his moves are Thunderbolt, Psychic, Blizzard and Tri Attack. It seems that Red is giving Alex full control of the battle.

How will Alex react?



Itzatrap- Rob can't help but feel betrayed by the fuzzy-cheeked deceiver, whose promise to show Rob and Melantha where he received his earring has lead to this high-flying prison without a single jewel in sight. Though Rob is rightfully enraged at the Patrat, he remains focused, maintaining an outward smile and an inward resolution to somehow find his way out of this mess. As the disembodied voice explains their first task, Rob and Melantha both try to set their feelings of helplessness aside as they attempt to reason through the puzzle presented to them. After all, if the pair played along with this mysterious "research," perhaps they would later find an opportunity to figure out exactly what is going on.

After some thought, Rob chooses the Pokeball with the lightning symbol, and announces his choice to whoever may be watching. The disembodied voice rings through his head promptly after Rob makes his decision. That is your choice? Very well. The Pokeball bursts open with incredible force, as the activation buttons on the other two Pokeballs disappear completely. Rob and Melantha watch in awe as a pure, white light breaks forth from the ball, which forms the silhouette of a monkey-like Pokemon... as the light condenses and takes shape, it becomes clear to Rob and Melantha that this "Pokemon" is actually a hologram of a Panpour. In fact, the curious Melantha finds her paw going right through the image of the creature. Its cry of "Pan Pan," however, sounds surprisingly realistic. As if to demonstrate to Rob that this image is more than just a pretty face, the Panpour unleashes a Water Gun At the opposite wall, which seems to leave real water behind.

It seems as if you have discovered the Pokeball of one of our laboratory monkeys. Good show! The disembodied voice laughs. Of course, you have not completed the task at hand yet. As I said before, all three of these Pokeballs are labeled improperly. Take your time and let us know when you have provided what you believe to be the correct labels. The energetic hologram of Panpour gives Rob a big smile, and as if to further demonstrate the task (as well as its ability to manipulate objects in the real world), the Panpour removes the lightning bolt from its Pokeball and places it in Rob's hand, looking up at the trainer expectantly.

How will Rob and Melantha react?

[Balmund]

Balmund - Averil roars angrily in response to Balmund and Durandal's suggestion that she leave the final Dusknoir to the Salamence, and glares at those members of the crowd who would dare suggest that William was overworking her. The naysayers in the audience who criticized Will for his training methods are shocked into silence by the Haxorus' display of pure, honest loyalty. William, however, respects Balmund's desire to finish the ghostly attacker off once and for all. Though it obviously pains him to do so, he motions for Averil to return to him, and though she gives him an intense look for a few moments, she begrudgingly returns to her trainer's side after being coaxed over with an offering of two berries (Rawst and Sitrus) and a loving pat on the nose. He turns to Balmund with a small smirk.

"You may have won this time around, Duke, but don't look so smug! Averil and I are gonna train even harder, and you'll see that your victory was nothing more than a fluke! Am I right, people?"

William's supporters cheer in response, while Balmund's supporters anxiously await Durandal's incredible show of strength. His Fly attack is impressive, but Dusknoir has had ample time to prepare his Dodge, which works very effectively as he phases out of existence at just the right time. Solidifying after the successful dodge, the Dusknoir attempts to Shadow Sneak behind Durandal, but Durandal whips around with a vicious Outrage which, while missing the target, startles Dusknoir so badly that it stops him mid-attack. Dusknoir attempts a black beam of Night Shade, and manages to hit this time, but Durandal takes the hit without much of a problem, particularly due to the fact that he is in the middle of a frightening outrage. Much to Balmund and William's dismay, some tables and chairs have been smashed to bits in the process...

Durandal's second round of outrage is a similar disappointment; though the crowd finds his rapid, vicious attacking to be awe-inspiring, the Dusknoir remains stubbornly out of reach, though his burn has slowly been eating away at his health. William grits his teeth as he watches the battle; why won't that Dusknoir admit he's lost already? The creature tries to confuse Durandal early with a Confuse Ray, which turns Duran's outrage into a blind, disoriented outrage. Then again, though he cannot see the Dusknoir, that may not actually matter, as Durandal seems to be closing in anyhow...

Durandal staves off confusion for one more round of Outrage. Finally, he makes contact, knocking the creature out cold just before losing momentum. Though dazed and confused, and not quite aware of what is going on around him, Duran has won the match with his honor in tact and his health still above half. The crowd is amazed at the destructive power of the Salamence, and cheer wildly for the winner of the "competition". Level up for Durandal.

William announces to everyone that the show is over, thanks everyone for coming and encourages everyone to clear out while they tend to Durandal, since Balmund's confused Salamence is now tottering dangerously around the food court, after already causing significant property damage with his Outrage. Balmund can see one of the food court employees pointing at him while talking on the phone, likely reporting him to some authority so that he can be "nicely asked" to either pay for the damages, leave the park or put on some nice metal bracelets for impersonating park staff. If Balmund and William are going to fly to the train station, they will first need to deal with Duran's confusion... and the fact that he may destroy even more of the food court in his current condition. William whispers something to Averil, and nods towards Balmund, recalling his precious Haxorus and walking towards the Dragon Tamer.

"Can you get him ready to fly? I hate to be a nag, but we ain't got all day... I'm sure you know that."

One hour and 30 minutes remain until the train leaves the Main Station.

What will Balmund do?

Though very reluctantly, and with good reason too, Averil heeds her trainer's words and returns to him, leaving the final Dusknoir to the capable hand of Balmund's Salamence. Durandal swiftly and impressively flies over his opponent, seeking to finish this bout once and for all. The Ghost-type has no intention of handing over an easy victory however, fighting stubbornly to very end as it attempts to take on the Salamence while avoiding his destructive Outrage. Ultimately, the spectre's efforts ended in failure, and though confused and dazed, it was Duran who had emerged savoring sweet victory. The show was over, and both William and Balmund were free to move on to their final destination. Unfortunately, Durandal hardly looked in shape to carry either of them without previous treatment, and time was ever ticking against them as the park's staff looked clearly upset by the damage property brought forth just now. Understandably, William asks Balmund if he can get their ride ready as soon as possible.

"That won't be necessary." Balmund responds before recalling the Salamence back into his Pokéball; Durandal would surely recover his bearings rest up inside before being recalled later on. "Kurth, we need you!" He releases another Pokéball, this time materializing into a particularly tough looking Aerodactyl who roars and screeches as he readied himself for what he assumed could be the only reason for his summoning: glorious battle. Balmund quickly leaps into the beast's back before gesturing to his friend to do the same. "Kurth, no time for explanation, Fly us both now!"

(Durandal raises from Lv.62 to Lv.63)

[Meetan]

Meetan - Alice immediately protests to Selene's pushing, moving closer to Rapid for protection as she protests that her question has not been answered. After all, what was the point of seeing the Fortune Teller in the first place if she was not given directions on where to go? "I have already told you, my dear! You need to leave the tent. The path will reveal itself, but you must hurry! They are waiting for you. They know that you are here." Alice feels something being shoved into her hand as she is unceremoniously shoved out the door. The Natu says something to Rapid which takes her off the defensive, and Rapid closely follows Alice and Selene, clearly watching to ensure that Alice is not harmed in any way by the shoving.

After having the velvet curtain shut behind them and hearing a door slam, Alice is finally able to examine what has been placed in her hand. The first object is a strange little Nosepass-themed compass which appears to be broken; the needle spins rapidly, completely unable to differentiate North from South. There also appears to be a crumpled piece of paper with the number of Selene's fortune telling service on it. "CALL ME ANYTIME" is written in soft, feminine letters underneath the phone number. Perhaps these items will be useful later on... Obtained the Nosepass Compass. In addition, you are now able to call Selene's Psychic Hotline.

While Alice can ponder Selene's strange gifts, the eerie sound of howling echoes throughout the park; suddenly, the sound of Rapid's neigh and metal cracking bone rings through the air, as a Houndoom that had decided to lunge at Alice is knocked off-course by a wicked Stomp to the side of the head. The hit is so brutal that the creature finds itself totally dazed, initially unable to get up. Rapid's eyes flicker viciously at the Houndoom, clearly upset that it would try and attack a friend of hers. "Yer' goin' down, y'varmint," Rapid shouts at the doglike creature, clearly not about to mess around. The Houndoom barks out something in response, and Rapid immediately translates for you.

"Sounds like yer' wanted Dead or Alive for capturin' some Liepard's baby... Wait, what? They want me fer WHAT?" The Rapidash seems shocked at what the Houndoom barks next, but before Alice can receive a translation, she is shocked by the presence of a Liepard directly behind her! Alice is able to step away just in time from a nasty Scratch, but it looks like Mama Liepard means business. She growls viciously, screeching something in Liepard that likely translates to "Give me back my baby, you %#$#^!" Looks like Alice will need to defend herself, and quickly!

How will Alice respond?

"Well, that was nice of her." Alice said moodily, folding up the piece of paper and sticking it into her bag, still clutching the wrecked compass in one glove. She was obviously about to say more, but it was interrupted by a piercing screech that broke from her own mouth, the teenager flailing and flustered at the sight of a Houndoom. It wasn't much of a secret that she feared fire and fire-types as it was, and this incident had not helped any such phobia, which seemed less than irrational at this point.

"What-- what the--- what the fudge?!" The girl babbled breathlessly, heart pounding away in her chest. She gasped at Rapid's words. "I didn't steal-- if that Purrloin hadn't tried to attack me, this wouldn't have happened!" She insisted with a scowl, and Alice reached into her bag, trying to find the Poke Ball that Purrloin should have been in. It was not there.

"I don't get it! Purrloin's Poke Ball has disappeared!" Alice cried helplessly. As the Liepard in question tried to scratch her face off, the trainer narrowly managed to dodge the blow. Houndoom was out for the count for now, or at least, Rapid appeared to have it under control, so she took the offensive. "Torchic, help me deal with this Liepard! Focus Energy, then use your Double Team and make it dizzy with Agility! Just don't underestimate her strength or speed, either!" She called, hurling a pink and white sphere through the air. In a bright flash of white, her small chick appeared. He might have been a fire type, but he was her small, dependable cheerleader and the one that she could trust. They still needed to bond, yes - and Alice predicted that would be a little harder after her near takedown by Houndoom - but this would only help strengthen that. Right?

Right?!

((Stats.))

[Dark Searchman]

Dark Searchman - Hyrem ultimately decides on a compromise, which seems to satisfy both of the Frillish siblings; in a strained, urgent voice, he orders them to move forward toward the red light of the Main Chamber, but encourages them to poke out as many eyes as they can on the way. As the pair of Frillish float by, they manage to take out eight eyes on the way, or one for each tentacle. Two eyes remain in the corridor, recovering from blindness, but currently not a threat to the team. Though the fact that there are so few eyes left is clearly irking the blue Frillish, who shakes his tentacles at them menacingly, he respects Hyrem's wish to move forward and does so without question. After all, the infected trainer's face is starting to look rather gaunt, and the skin around his eyes is beginning to swell and darken, as if bruised. Clearly, the Frillish's sister is right; there isn't much time.

The four aquatic travelers cautiously position themselves in the entryway, scoping out the final room of the cave carved to appear like a cathedral. The spacious Main Chamber is illuminated by the eerie red light seen from the corridor, but what makes this light so strange is that the strength of it is entirely uniform across the room, making it difficult for Hyrem to tell where the source is located. With his vision becoming more and more impaired, Hyrem cannot tell exactly how many eyes have been "installed" into the imposing stone walls, but fortunately it appears that many of the nearby "sockets" that have been drilled are still empty, with only a few of the vast number of holes drilled into the rock walls actually filled with an eye. Even so, the widest variety of eyes can be seen in this main room, featuring the ocular organs of people and Pokemon alike. Based on the pattern of how the eyes are distributed and the size of the room, Hyrem estimates that there are roughly 100 pairs of eyes in the room, though the cathedral could easily hold 1000 pairs or more. The group does not know whether to feel comforted that the room is only scattered with eyes and not chock-full of them, or terrified at the number of eyes which the Harvester seems to be planning on ultimately collecting. Of course, the water-filled chamber has a number of things to note aside from the rows and rows of sockets and eyes. In addition to her most infamous collection, the Harvester also seems to have a scattered assortment of items on the ground such as backpacks, broken pokedexes and other trainer paraphrenalia. There also appear to be some corpses nearby, apparently rather fresh, as they do not appear to have decayed much; Hyrem tries squinting, but finds that it hurts his eyes too much to focus... However, he can tell that the corpses are of two young men, likely trainers. Hyrem desperately hopes that these poor souls are not who he thinks they are. From where Hyrem is standing, he can also see some old scuba gear, meant for a small Pokemon. It must have been for emergencies if the dive ride should ever fill with water. He also thinks that he can see some items in the distance, though he cannot make out what they are with his impaired vision. There also appears to be something large in the center of the room, though Hyrem cannot clearly discern what it is at this point.

Destroying eyes, item-raiding, further exploration, Pokemon preparation... Hyrem will have to decide what is important right now in this large and intimidating chamber. He may act on all of those things, or none of them, or pick and choose, but time will always be of the essence. The eyes are watching, after all! In addition, Hyrem can't seem shake the feeling that a difficult battle is on the horizon. He should probably consider listening to his intuition and preparing wisely.

Thankfully the two Frillish accepted the compromise, poking out eight of the ten remaining eyes, leaving two in the hallway before moving on to the great room. Hyrem's skin made the situation apparent as he was coming closer to undeath with each passing second.

Now that they were inside the Main Chamber, Hyrem could see, even with his eyes beginning to fail him, how daunting the task truly was. Eerie red light filled the room, just as it did the hallway, and with it, he could see the walls were riveted... as if a golf ball was turned inside out. Among the walls, he could see dots of white... about 200 of them. All of them too obvious what they were. And there could be up to 2000 holes total, which left lots of holes waiting for eyes to fill them. The Harvester has apparently only just begun. This was the chance to take her out once and for all. Failure, however, would mean she would be allowed to continue her reign of the depths of Mantine Mania, possibly even further. It also seemed she was collecting more than just eyes; backpacks... Pokedexes... fresh corpses... Ow, who could they... They look like... like trainers... he thought, and then gasped. Oh, please don't be...

There was also some old scuba gear scattered around, meant for smaller Pokemon, just in case the ride malfunctioned. There were also some other items... maybe some that could help him? And the large thing in the- oh, center... what was that?

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." whispered Hyrem to the three Pokemon. She was near... she was watching... she has always been watching. It was only a matter of time until she would reveal herself. And time has not been on Hyrem's side up to this point.

"Frillish... watch my back," he whispered again, barely moving his lips so the eyes couldn't read them. "I'm going to look for some items to help us out before... well, just be ready." He then closed his eyes and turned slightly towards Delilah. "You especially need to be ready. You came through against Eelektrik, and now, more than ever, I need you." His Chinchou simply nodded before he continued. "I'll look for items that'll help you get your energy back, but if she comes, we'll need to synch up and battle pretty fast... Go from Flash straight into Confuse Ray, then use Thunder Wave." He took in one more breath--which allowed more seawater in--and silently nodded that he was ready to fight for his life. He then looked around the room for energy-restoring items. Hopefully there would be some... and hopefully they were ready.

[uhhhhh]

uhhhhh - The Drifloons seem unable to decide on a single course of action, so they turn to Connor for help. The trainer is thoughtful when considering each suggested strategy, noting the benefits and disadvantages of each idea. Taking advantage of cracked mirrors may help bypass a great deal of the maze, but these "shortcuts" may end up simply getting the group more lost than before. The basement area below the House of Mirrors may have its own share of secrets, but Connor believes that it is unlikely that an exit could be found down there. Signs could be helpful, but would it be possible that the "new management" in Phantom Isle had these helpful hints removed or cursed so that people no longer can see them? Certainly, deciding on the best course of action was no easy feat. Fortunately for Connor, there was always his trusty Poketch Roulette to make the decision for him! The Drifloon peek over Connor's shoulder as the Roulette does its magic. Fate decides on checking the signs, and the little 'floon faces all turn towards Connor, hoping he can shed light on what the Poketch has decided. He tells the group that, since Connor has retained his ability to read, they all should be on the lookout for signs for him to read aloud. Though some of the Drifloons mutter and grumble at the fact that their suggestion was not chosen, they generally seem to agree that Connor has made a smart choice.

Well, what are we waiting for? Sam summons everyone with a heart-shaped yellow hand, and points to Gaspard. We'll bring the smaller monkey up top first, then get our forces together to lift the bigger one. Ready, Gaspard? The Aipom nods, apparantly understanding what the Drifloons plan to do. A group of Drifloons gently wrap their string-like appendages around Gaspard's trunk, and lift him up out of their basement home and towards the hole in the ceiling that leads to the Mirror Maze. Gaspard laughs and kicks his feet happily as he is lifted up in the air, and Connor can see the Drifloons carry him safely up to floor above them, setting him down with great care. The group of Drifloons then float back down, and the whole group begin wrapping their appendages around Connor's chest and waist, and with a bit of strain, they all lift Connor up in the air. He floats above the Drifloon's basement home, higher and higher until he is set carefully down beside Gaspard. The Drifloon immediately begin floating down a corridor in one big group, searching for signs. Sam urges everyone to stick together so that no one gets lost.

After a couple of twists and turns, a Drifloon squeaks out in order to indicate that he has noticed a sign. She motions quickly over to Connor and Gaspard, while Sam also peers over the Drifloon's shoulder. Hmmm... T'the left, there's a Machamp liftin' waits... *inhale* and to the right, there's an Alakazam readin... *inhale* a book, and straight ahead is a little Skitty laughing at Haunter... *inhale* with a sheet over it. Sam turns to Connor with a curious expression. Whadda' you make of it, Monkey?

When Connor looks at the sign, he can see that each image is accompanied by a few words. Under Machamp, the words read, "TEST OF STRENGTH." Under Alakazam, the words read, "TEST OF KNOWLEDGE." Finally, under the Skitty laughing at the Haunter, the words read, "TEST OF BRAVERY."

"Well, TEST OF KNOWLEDGE is out," Sam says, after Connor presumably reads the words aloud to the group. "Our memories grow shorter by the day..." He inhales deeply, and turns to Connor and Gaspard. "....and, well, need I say more?" Certainly, Connor and Gaspard could decide to prove him wrong and put their wits to the test. Then again, Sam is right; the Drifloon and their dwindling memories would not be much help in that department. Then again, how would the group of balloon-like Pokemon fare in strength or bravery? Besides, how would these aspects of character even be tested in a mirror maze? The Drifloon, of course, immediately get into an argument once again over what they should do. A good number of them disagree with Sam, and illustrate their disagreement by spouting off random facts, ranging from the date of the Civil War to Pidgey's natural moveset. Another group wants to test their Strength, which they demonstrate by flexing their little string-arms and tossing each other up in the air, loudly voicing their decision. Finally, the group that seeks to test their Bravery put on the most stoic, determined faces they can muster while shouting along with the rest of the 'floons. It's pandemonium all over again! Looks like the decision is once again up to Connor and Gaspard...

"Well, what are we waiting for? We'll bring the smaller monkey up top first, then get our forces together to lift the bigger one. Ready, Gaspard?" Sam said as some of the Drifloons gathered to lift Gaspard up and towards the mirror maze once more. The Drifloons came back and then joined the others in lifting the much heavier Connor. "...I'm not THAT heavy, am I?" Connor could see the Drifloons straining from lifting him up. Finally they reached the mirror maze and Connor had landed safely back on the ground and Gaspard had leapt up to his shoulder. Sam told the entire group to stick together such that no one would get lost. "Right then, which way do we g-Oof!" Connor had once again bumped face-first into a mirror. Gaspard sighed loudly at his trainer.

After a few twists, turns, and bumps from Connor, one of the Drifloons had noticed something ahead and urged Connor and Gaspard towards it. "Hmmm... T'the left, there's a Machamp liftin' waits... *inhale* and to the right, there's an Alakazam readin... *inhale* a book, and straight ahead is a little Skitty laughing at Haunter... *inhale* with a sheet over it. Whadda' you make of it, Monkey?" Sam asked Connor who stepped forward and inspected the three signs. "Let's see here... there's writings on each of the signs!" he said as he looked under, "The one underneath the Machamp reads... 'Test of Strength', the one on Alakazam's... 'Test of Knowledge', and the one on the Skitty and Haunter reads... 'Test of Bravery'," the photographer finished reading the signs and turned to face the Drifloons, "Tests huh... I don't like the sound of this. Seems like we have to go through an obstacle to proceed," Connor said to them. "Say... weren't you guys looking for a way out? Since you guys have been searching everywhere in this mirror maze, surely you guys have been to this area with the signs before right? If you do, do any of you know what's beyond these signs?" Connor asked the Drifloons.

"Well, 'Test of Knowledge' is out. Our memories grow shorter by the day, ...and, well, need I say more?" Sam said to Connor. As if on cue, the Drifloons argued once more on which path to take. Some of them wanted to test their strength, some on their knowledge, and some on their bravery. Connor and Gaspard sighed once more, "Not again... Are they going to be like this EVERY time we try to decide on something?" Connor thought. Connor and Gaspard decided to ignore the arguing Drifloons for now before they both have headaches from them and turned around to face the signs, inspecting them once more.

"Well these signs are obviously pretty vague... how would one test any of the three for that matter? Does strength involve a Pokemon battle? Lifting weights? What about knowledge? A puzzle? Quiz? Riddles? And Bravery... what do we need to do to prove our bravery? In fact, why is there something like this inside the House of Mirrors? Hmmm..." Connor thought. "Well, what do think Gaspard? Sam has a point regarding the Test of Knowledge. With their slowly losing memories, I don't think they could prove much help in that aspect..." Connor looked at the two remaining signs as Gaspard jumped down from him.

"That leaves these two, but... how would they fare in strength and bravery? Heck, how would they even test us regarding these?" "Aipom, pom-aipom!" Gaspard called out to Connor and pointed his tail-hand towards the sign with the Skitty and Haunter. "The Test of Bravery? You want us to go there Gaspard?" the Aipom nodded and shot him a grin. "...right, I trust your decision buddy." Connor said to him. He looked at the Drifloons once more and saw that they were still arguing. "Um... guys? ...guys? ...GUYS!" Connor shouted the last one. "Sorry about that, but me and Gaspard thought about the choices and we decided to go to the Test of Bravery; the sign with the Skitty and Haunter. Any objections?" he asked the Drifloons.

[poketim2]

((This is a reminder to everyone that in order to ensure that I am able to maintain a decent updating pace while still balancing the demands of work and school, I am enacting a HARD CAP, which means that I will NOT be taking any new updatees for the time being. To those who posted their introductions in Phantom Isle, I apologize for the continued wait, but hopefully one of the other ZAs will be able to pick your stories up at some point.))



poketim2 - It certainly seems odd that a powerful-looking Jirachi would enlist the help of a Joltik to deal with something as common and weak as a Goldeen, but nonetheless, Brier and Jitterz find themselves agreeing to take on this "menace" that seems to be terrifying Pantoum Isle's inhabitants. The pair decide to follow Marcus and Suomi across the water, though Brier makes a mental note to pick up some aspirin for his oncoming headache. This place certainly was beginning to mess with his mind!

Jitterz is the first to take a step on the water, and finds himself being supported as if he were on the ground. Brier, too, is surprised to see that his feet are supported on the water, and though his steps form ripples in the water, and his steps are made slightly unsteady by the small waves coursing through the water, he is able to remain completely afloat as he and Jitterz walk safely across the water with their companions; of course, Marcus and Suoni are far more agile on water than Brier and Jitterz are, causing them to laugh a bit as they watch their new companions cross at some distance behind, their steps awkward and wobbly.

"You two look like you've never walked on water before," Suoni says with a smile.

"MARC MARC MARC!" Marcus says with a laugh.

Despite the playful teasing from their new companions, the pair safely cross into Pantoum Isle, which appears to once have been full of giant libraries and open-air lecture halls, presumably for the Darkrai and Giratina to read and store their poetry; however, a number of these buildings have been completely demolished, as if something big had torn through them. Perhaps this Goldeen was exposed to radiation and happened to be 50-feet tall... A sort of Goldeenzilla, if you will. Fearing the worst, Brier and Jitterz follow their mirror world friends down the path of destuction until they see a cloud of smoke and shrapnel off in the distance. Though Suoni falters, Marcus silently urges the Jirachi on, with Brier and his Joltik following close behind. Eventually, the smoke clears, and the group finds themselves close enough to see what is at the center of the ruins of the former Pantoum Isle: a tiny, non-shiny Goldeen lays on its side in the center of a giant crater, which appears to be on the small side even for its species. Surely, there must be some mistake! How can a little Goldeen-

WHAM. The Goldeen flops its tail, and a giant shockwave blasts forth from the flowing, delicate appendage, creating massive amounts of destruction in its wake. Suoni shudders at the sight of the Goldeen's incredible power, but looks back at Jitterz and seems somehow relieved.

"Okay, you guys can lead the offensive. We'll be right behind you. It is up to you whether you want to catch it or defeat it, but either option is gonna be difficult! We know that your Joltik can handle it, though!"

As Suoni cheers Brier and Jitterz on, he is interrupted by the Goldeen, who begins flopping about. Each flop creates a terrible shockwave of energy so intense that the trainers and Pokemon gathered near it are all knocked down by the vibrations. Each flop makes the crater deeper than before, and Brier and Jitterz find themselves dodging falling books and crumbling walls.

Seems as if little Jitterz and his trainer are expected to lead off the charge against a creature whose looks are very deceiving. What will Brier and Jitterz do?

"Woah, whaaa, this is weird," Brier said as he tried to keep his balance on the fluid walkway, "Yeah, Suoni, normally I can't walk on water, infact no-one can from where I come from. Jitterz you fairing any better?" As he looked down only to see that his partner as fairing only slightly better thanks too his four legs, but was to preoccupied to offer a responce. As the group neared the Island, several structure cam into veiw, obsured by the distance and something else, possibly fog. Drawing even closer the structures became clear, bookcases and hall similar to those of the ancient Po-reeces; but going hand-in-hand with this new clarity came clarity for it would-be veil. "Smoke, This can't be good. I don't think a Goldeen could do this, maybe a mutant "Goldeenzilla", maybe..." Brier said skeptically.

Following the route created from distroyed bookcases and other debris, stopping only briefly when Suoni hesitated, they made their way to the center of the Island. There before them lay a massive crater. Looking into the crater Brier calmly spoke, "This is what is causing all the distruction? This little Goldeen? It's..." WHAM. Brier is sent flying as the little fish hit the ground with its fin on the ground, causing a massive shockwave to iminate outward. Getting back to his feet Brier, who is clearly shaken, returns to the edge and begins speaking, "Well, that escalated quickly. But al kidding aside how you want us to lead off? Normally I would, but..." WHAM. the Goldeen's tail impacts the ground once again, deepening the crater and causing the group to tumble off their feet. "Ok, now i think its trying to tell me to shut-up, wait a minute Suoni, don't Jirachi float, HOW DID YOU GET KNOCK OFF YOUR!!!!!? Uhhh, sorry 'bout that, it's not important. Jitterz, I hope your up for this."

"Nots entirely, but Iz do like a challenge. Howz we gonna do this?" Jitterz buzzed showing the same shakeness in him as was in his partner. "I'd stop that floppingz firzt, it would be safest."

"Couldn't agree more with you, in my hand for the toss," Brier said reaching down for his partner. "Whenever your ready."

"Okay, I'm readzee."

Lighter than normal as to not over shot the crater, Brier lobbed his partner out, yelling, "With what we're going for, start off with a Spider Web, then a Thunder Wave and then take the offensive with a Charge Beam!"

[gmoyes]

gmoyes- Red's trainer sprite nods his head in agreement with Alex's decision to exploit the Mew glitch, and a text box appears directly beneath him. "The Mew Glitch does not need CUT, from what I remember. The Mew just kind of appears when you leave Lavender Town, right when you cancel out of the start menu that pops up. It just floats up to you out of the blue. Anyway, let's go back to Lavender Town and find that Gambler!"

After a brief "FLY" animation, Red and Alex find themselves in the eerie Lavender Town once again... The music seems even more grating and high-pitched than Alex remembers, and he wishes he had some equivalent of covering his ears as a Porygon to block out the terrible sound. Fortunately, Red notices Alex's discomfort, and helps him move out of Lavender Town as quickly as possible. The pair look forward to a happier, jauntier tune, but even the upbeat music of Route 8 is beginning to take on a strange quality to it... Alex cannot say for sure, but based on his current analysis, whatever force created such unsettling changes in the Lavender Tower seems to be having some strange after-effects on the rest of the electronic Pokemon world. Though Red himself does not acknowledge the eerie feeling directly, he definitely seems to be moving as quickly as he can.

"You know the plan, right? Fly before the Gambler sees us to Cerulean City, go to Nugget Bridge, fight that trainer with the Slowpoke, fly to Lavender Town and BAM! Mew appears. Hey, I'll bet Mew could even TELEPORT us out of the game! That would be awesome. I hope I get to keep it once we get out..." Red pauses for a moment. "Wishful thinking, huh?"

Red expertly positions himself in front of the entrance of the Underground Path, and takes a single step forward, immediately pulling up the start menu before the Gambler can react to their presence. "I hope this works," a text box reads underneath the menus, as Red calls up Pidgey and orders it to FLY to Cerulean City. As the fly animation begins, Red and Alex are delighted to see the exclamation point appear above the Gambler's head, though the sound of screeching static fills the area for a split second as the two fly off to Cerulean City. After landing at the Pokemon Center, Red's sprite shakes his head, and Alex can hear a ghostly sigh. "I have a bad feeling about this... but we gotta move on." True to his word, Red begins moving North towards Nugget Bridge, with Porygon following behind. As Red and his "Pokemon" make their way past the trainers of Nugget Bridge, Alex can feel the stares of each trainer boring into his soul... Alex never really noticed how creepy these trainers were when playing outside of the game, but when actually weaving between these beaten trainers, Alex can truly appreciate the soullessness of their eyes, and the disturbing stillness with which they stand, bolted in place, captive within the game. The gaze becomes more intense as they go, and Alex can't help but wonder if their judgmental glare is simply a manifestation of Alex's own nervousness regarding the current plan, or something more sinister.

Red takes a right after the bridge, and moves through the familiar maze of shrubbery past the Nugget Bridge, moving past a scattering of silent trainers as he does so. Finally, near the top border of the shrubbery maze, Red sees the trainer in question; the Youngster with the Slowpoke whose dad took him to a great party on the S.S. Anne. Red pauses for a moment before boldly stepping out in front of the trainer; the pair wait for a second or two, and their hearts sink. The trainer does not react at all. Instead, they are met with the empty soullessness of the other trainers. Red clearly looks dejected, and takes a step towards Alex; he is about to form a text bubble to express his disappointment, when the trainer suddenly jumps to life, an exclamation point clear above his head. A shiver seems to go up Red's spine as the trainer approaches him; the intensity of the trainer's walk and expression is far beyond what either prisoner of the game had expected.

"Why did he leave me here alone?" ...Wait, what happened to all that nonsense about the party on the S.S. Anne in Vermillion City? Was this trainer referring to his father? What was going on, here? Either way, the battle screen pops up as normal, except that when the Youngster claims to send out Slowpoke, it is no longer a Slowpoke, but an odd clump of pixels only vaguely shaped like the dopey Pokemon in question. In addition, the "Slowpoke" is no longer Lv.17... It is Lv.120. The options remain the same: FIGHT, PKMN, ITEM or RUN. Alex knows that if he chooses "fight," his moves are Thunderbolt, Psychic, Blizzard and Tri Attack. It seems that Red is giving Alex full control of the battle.

How will Alex react?

Alex gave an inward sigh of relief as the exclamaion mark appeared over the mans head as he and Red were wisked away to Cerulean City. It was somewhat surpising that whoever's game this was who strived for 100% completion left that one trainer untouched. It seemed suspisous and considering the forces behind this, they left it there for us to discover. What this ment for their current plan he didn't know, but there would be difficult times ahead. This was ment to be a test.

Once they landed in Cerulean City they immediatly headed north. Alex didn't realize it before now, but while crossing Nugget Bridge, the silent stares were starting to creep him out. They we just husks, doing nothing now that the gauntlet had been passed. It didn't do anything to dwell on it, so they continued on through the maze of trees until they reached the youngster. The duo moved to stand right into the line of the trainer. Nothing happened.

Dejected, Red moved towards Alex, about to express his dissapointment, when the trainer sprung to life with an exclaimation mark over his head. With surpising speed the youngster went up to them to start the battle and said his introductory phrase.

"Why did he leave me alone?"

Wait, that didn't sound right. Alex may have been shakey on remembering exact lines, but that tone was cetainly not normal for him. But before anyone could do anything the battle screen popped up and Alex found himself facing off against some sort of glitched up Slowpoke which was at a level higher than was the cap was. Of course this wouldn't be easy. He just hoped the glitch still worked even with the wierd Slowpoke. His battle menu popped up, but the arrow that the trainers used to make their choices wasn't doing a thing. Red must have been leaving this up to him. He paused and brought up a text box of his own. "WE CAN'T TRUST THAT THIS THING IS STILL A SLOWPOKE. STILL, A THUNDERBOLT IS AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANYTHING TO START. IF IT DOESN'T SEEM TO DO MUCH I'LL TRY A BLIZZARD, OTHERWISE I'LL KEEP GOING WITH THUNDERBOLT. I NEED YOU TO SUPPORT ME, IF I FAINT, USE THE PIDGEY AS A SCARIFICE TO USE A REVIVE ON ME. I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I NEED A POTION. LET'S DO THIS." Alex looked at his opponent and got ready to attack.