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Old 05-13-2018, 07:53 PM   #451
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Meetan:

The familiarity of the region still isn't enough to make you feel "at home". And that's probably a good thing, considering most of the denizens of Bedlam are murderers and thieves.

But not even the side of Good, if one can call them such, is particularly welcoming in the Ridge: the Marshalls do what need to be done, and there is little room for sympathy in the Headquarters as everyone is up to their necks in missions and errands. Even the man behind the counter, little more than a glorified cashier with a badge, eyes you with annoyance.

"You sure talk a lot," he mutters under his breath before raising his voice to continue, as if he genuinely believes you didn't just hear him. "Look lady, quite a few months is a lifetime in Bedlam Ridge. Everyone who was here a month ago has either been relocated, retired or buried by now. But hey, if you made it out okay once and are back for more, we got a number of jobs for folk like you."

He motions with his head to a bulletin board leaning against the wall next to the desk, topped by a yellowed piece of paper that read "SPECIAL JOBS" in large, ugly letters.

You're not sure if you should take "folk like you" as a compliment or an insult, but if you choose to assume he meant "hardy survivors", then it was probably a good thing. With no better leads and your preferential contact seemingly removed from the premises long ago, you approach the wooden board and glance through the requests. Judging by the state of the papers, they've been hanging there for a long time, and you wonder if any of these are still active problems or ones which Time has already solved, as it always does one way or another.

"Don't bother with those, I'll tell you what actually matters," says a raspy voice behind you. Turning around, you see an officer in his fifties, pale-skinned and overly thin, who bursts out in a violent fit of cough shortly after he speaks. The nonchalant way he recovers tells you he's more than used to it, however.

"Shells are behaving suspiciously lately - as in, they're not doing shit. All holed up in Crimson Sanctum like they're preparing something big, or they got hold of something important... like a coiling viper before it strikes. That worries us," he says, stopping often for a breather. He pulls out a cigarette, lights it and takes a couple of puffs before continuing.

"The few of them that actually do anything anymore have been seen scouting the vicinity of the Bastion of Vacuous Dreams, but they never enter. Nobody gave a damn about that building for years, so we need to know what the Shells want."

He walks over to the bulletin board, curses under his breath and begins ripping out the countless requests that have piled up over the years. Mid-task he looks at you with expressionless light blue eyes and finally remembers to introduce himself.

"Sven Larson. Don't bother with those other jobs, kid; leave those to the idiots who're doing this for the first time." He holds out his hand, and you go for a handshake, only to realize he was only reaching for another cigarette. "We believe the Shells are preparing for a raid into the bastion with some sort of new weapon. Either infiltrate their Sanctum and find what it is, or get to the Bastion before they do and find out what they're after. Because if they want it, we don't want them to have it."

Marshall Larson seems certain you'll take him up on the offer, but nobody ever said you had to. If none of the propostions appeals to you, there's bound to be more work around, but maybe none as significant as either of these assignments.

What's your call?
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Old 05-13-2018, 09:07 PM   #452
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Meetan:

The familiarity of the region still isn't enough to make you feel "at home". And that's probably a good thing, considering most of the denizens of Bedlam are murderers and thieves.

But not even the side of Good, if one can call them such, is particularly welcoming in the Ridge: the Marshalls do what need to be done, and there is little room for sympathy in the Headquarters as everyone is up to their necks in missions and errands. Even the man behind the counter, little more than a glorified cashier with a badge, eyes you with annoyance.

"You sure talk a lot," he mutters under his breath before raising his voice to continue, as if he genuinely believes you didn't just hear him. "Look lady, quite a few months is a lifetime in Bedlam Ridge. Everyone who was here a month ago has either been relocated, retired or buried by now. But hey, if you made it out okay once and are back for more, we got a number of jobs for folk like you."

He motions with his head to a bulletin board leaning against the wall next to the desk, topped by a yellowed piece of paper that read "SPECIAL JOBS" in large, ugly letters.

You're not sure if you should take "folk like you" as a compliment or an insult, but if you choose to assume he meant "hardy survivors", then it was probably a good thing. With no better leads and your preferential contact seemingly removed from the premises long ago, you approach the wooden board and glance through the requests. Judging by the state of the papers, they've been hanging there for a long time, and you wonder if any of these are still active problems or ones which Time has already solved, as it always does one way or another.

"Don't bother with those, I'll tell you what actually matters," says a raspy voice behind you. Turning around, you see an officer in his fifties, pale-skinned and overly thin, who bursts out in a violent fit of cough shortly after he speaks. The nonchalant way he recovers tells you he's more than used to it, however.

"Shells are behaving suspiciously lately - as in, they're not doing shit. All holed up in Crimson Sanctum like they're preparing something big, or they got hold of something important... like a coiling viper before it strikes. That worries us," he says, stopping often for a breather. He pulls out a cigarette, lights it and takes a couple of puffs before continuing.

"The few of them that actually do anything anymore have been seen scouting the vicinity of the Bastion of Vacuous Dreams, but they never enter. Nobody gave a damn about that building for years, so we need to know what the Shells want."

He walks over to the bulletin board, curses under his breath and begins ripping out the countless requests that have piled up over the years. Mid-task he looks at you with expressionless light blue eyes and finally remembers to introduce himself.

"Sven Larson. Don't bother with those other jobs, kid; leave those to the idiots who're doing this for the first time." He holds out his hand, and you go for a handshake, only to realize he was only reaching for another cigarette. "We believe the Shells are preparing for a raid into the bastion with some sort of new weapon. Either infiltrate their Sanctum and find what it is, or get to the Bastion before they do and find out what they're after. Because if they want it, we don't want them to have it."

Marshall Larson seems certain you'll take him up on the offer, but nobody ever said you had to. If none of the propostions appeals to you, there's bound to be more work around, but maybe none as significant as either of these assignments.

What's your call?
Alice's cheeks tinged red at being called out. It was fucking true, and it was sometimes her job to, but bitch please. "I am literally right here..." She sang sarcastically under her breath, Zoey detecting the meanness in her tone and tilting her head. With less enthusiasm than before, Alice added, "Okay, thanks."

She turned, cooing to her companion, who fluttered to climb onto the female's shoulder. The pitter pat of her feet touching pale skin made her giggle, mood bolstered a bit. The handwriting on the board was ugly, but nobody was impressed with her own, so whatever. It was either out of date or nobody was solving shit around here. Alice got her answer, but not without a jump scare, whirling around to face the Marshal. With a sharp inhale, Alice almost coughed, too. He was a sight for sore eyes, and he stank of his deathly habit. Yikes. At least he was friendly and helpful.

The Pewdiepie moment of a failed handshake killed her a bit inside, but hey, if things went wrong this mission would kill her on the outside, too, so-- why the fuck was she doing this again? "Alice Hope, nice to meet you. I'll head to the Sanctum. Nobody ever comes out from the Bastion, right? If I can't beat them to the punch, I can make a final stand there. I wanted to explore the Bastion myself anyway, eventually." She had wondered if it held any answers to her lost memories there. Alice had recovered some of them from Phantom Isle, but... Well, there were plenty of gaps, and she'd sort of been avoiding filling them in... "Do you have any tips or anything like that I can use? I've dealt with some Ribs before in passing, but it was more putting out a fire they started then actually knocking on their doorstep. I'm not a fresh idiot but I'm not the most familiar with Bedlam."
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Old 05-13-2018, 10:26 PM   #453
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BEDLAM RIDGE
The Temporary City Zone

Marshal's Headquarters (Marshals): Situated in the relatively stable north, the headquarters of the police force is a large compound with tight security, home to the Goldenridge Marshals in their fight to restore the name of Goldenridge to bedlam. The force has recently started a campaign against the Shells and Ribs, seeking to push them out of the city once and for all, and are willing to accept mercenary support from trainers willing to help out in the fight. The reinforced location seems to be more attractive to pokemon who enjoy a sense of justice and honour. Reply in Silver.
She knew she would one day see this city once again when she last left, and accepted that it would most likely would still be the battleground it was when she left. She wasn't so naive as to believe that the stunt she pulled last time had been little more than annoyance to the gangs, either. The den she busted was unlikely to be their only source of new recruits, and their numbers before her interference were likely too large to be meaningfully phased even if it somehow were.

All Amicae had achieved so far was place a single stone upon the road to liberating Goldenridge once and for all.

The amount of time she waited to return did have a few practical purposes, of course. The injury she had taken to her arm needed to heal, even if just enough to keep the pain from debilitating her every time she hit it on something. Her pokemon needed more training if they were to be capable of taking on the more fearsome challenges ahead. She needed enough time to make sure her face faded from as many of the gang members' memories as possible so that she wouldn't be jumped the moment she finally returned.

But beyond all of those valid justifications, she had been afraid. She couldn't remember why she had her houndoomfire burns, but the burns Madame Marsh had given her were seared- almost literally- into her mind. She had seen what would've happened to her if the electrical power had continued to course through her body as an ally suffered that very fate, wildly convulsing and coming within a thread of her life and likely crippled for what remained of it. She had witnessed the birth of an incarnation of raw hatred towards her, and still couldn't tell whether or not that beast had turned on its own creator to this day.

Bedlam Ridge was a war zone, plain and simple.

And like a good little soldier, the girl was reporting back to central command for the next line of duty.

Ami took a deep breath in front of the marshall's Headquarters, a clear attempt to calm her nerves. "You've drug yourself back this far. There's nowhere else to go but further in."

She stepped through the doors, and thus began her second foray into the tumultuous struggle against gang violence.
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Old 05-17-2018, 05:11 AM   #454
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King Ghidorah- Trekking through the quarry, you find that it is rather deserted, at least at the moment. It was the middle of the day, it would make sense that Ribs would do their work at night when darkness would conceal their shifty behaviour. If you hoped to find riches you were in the right place, but you would have to work quickly to ensure any spoils you gathered weren't swiftly added to the Ribs' coffers.

As you make your way towards the mines entrance, you hear a man shouting for help. Surging forward, it isn't long before the elderly man comes into view. Despite his robust build and age, the old timer could certainly swing a pickaxe. The target of his violent outbursts? A horde of black reptilian Pokemon, all scrambling to get at the contents of a wheelbarrow. The Pokemon were relentless, even when struck down they leapt back to their feet and continued to try and get at the ore the man had gathered.

As he turns to swing, the man catches sight of you and pleads for your assistance. "You there, can you help me get these pesky Salandit away from my haul?!" He continued to lash out with his pickaxe, it was proving ineffective against the agile Salandits, he needed the assistance of Pokemon. Quickly counting the Salandit, you count seven of them however they are moving so quickly that you could have easily miscounted. There was no way of telling what was motivating the Salandit to harass the elderly man, perhaps they simply felt like causing chaos, or perhaps they had a purpose?
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Old 05-17-2018, 10:28 AM   #455
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Sven Larson's lips curl into a coy smile once you mention your past experience with Ribs.

"F*ckin' perfect," he says in a voice that makes sandpaper sound like a harp. "Shells can spot a Marshal a mile away; most new blood around here cycles in and out, but they always still manage to recognize us even undercover. But you... you've been around Bedlam and the Shells have no idea who you are, if all you dealt with was Ribs."

He motions for you follow him as he walks over to a nearby table with a map of Bedlam Ridge spread out on top of it.

"Crimson Sanctum," he growls, placing a finger on the map. "Used to be a holy place for folks with such inclination; went by a different name then too, but who gives a f*ck anymore. What matters is you'll be infiltrating the place and act as a double agent for us. Find out why they plan to raid the Bastion. More importantly... find out how they plan to do it."

Larson pulls out a(nother) cigarette and casually motions with his head to the man behind the counter who you'd met earlier - the one that thought you were deaf.

"He'll give you a uniform we kept from some Shell we offed. It will be sweaty and unwashed, and it won't fit that skinny frame, but going to the Sanctum in that Barbie outfit will get you shot, so weigh your options," he says dryly. "Be nice to him and he might remember he's also supposed to provide you with a small care package for the mission."

He approaches you and holds out his hand again, but this time it seems to be for an actual handshake.

"You're a brave lass. Someone with less tact would say you got balls," he says as he smirks, all proud of his joke, probably the only one he knows judging by his shining personality. "Once you arrive, tell 'em you've been kept hostage by Marshals for months but managed to escape. They'll be starving for intel on our own activities, so it won't be hard for you to be allowed inside the Sanctum if you spin the tale right. Go get 'em, soldier."

Reluctantly approaching the counter and the man who'd welcomed you so warmly to the HQ, you begin to tell him Sven Larson sent you before he cuts you off.

"I heard the whole thing, y'know? You were, like, right there. Jeez."

Visibly inconvenienced, he gets up and disappears behind a nearby door, eventually reappearing with with a black and red uniform that borrows heavily from the famous (if maligned) Team Rocket garments of old. And the clothes are precisely in the condition Larson had told you, because of course they are.

"Here, all yours. Now, we're short on supplies, so you'll have to choose. I got a couple of Super Potions left, a Full Heal, a... hm, ran out of these already? Oh, look, a spare Smoke Ball. And this here... ah, right, two Sitrus Berries. Moldy."

he spreads the meager haul on the counter, but before you can take them, he raises his voice.

"Three. You get to choose three."

Once you've made your choice, he finally points to the PC on the counter. It's so old, it's a wonder how it still works; worst still, it runs Shutters Vista.

"Use that to choose the Pokemon you're gonna take with you, in case you don't know what a PC is for. Good luck, don't get shot, yadda yadda."

Time for your final preparations. Are you ready to do this?
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Old 05-17-2018, 03:27 PM   #456
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Meetan:

Sven Larson's lips curl into a coy smile once you mention your past experience with Ribs.

"F*ckin' perfect," he says in a voice that makes sandpaper sound like a harp. "Shells can spot a Marshal a mile away; most new blood around here cycles in and out, but they always still manage to recognize us even undercover. But you... you've been around Bedlam and the Shells have no idea who you are, if all you dealt with was Ribs."

He motions for you follow him as he walks over to a nearby table with a map of Bedlam Ridge spread out on top of it.

"Crimson Sanctum," he growls, placing a finger on the map. "Used to be a holy place for folks with such inclination; went by a different name then too, but who gives a f*ck anymore. What matters is you'll be infiltrating the place and act as a double agent for us. Find out why they plan to raid the Bastion. More importantly... find out how they plan to do it."

Larson pulls out a(nother) cigarette and casually motions with his head to the man behind the counter who you'd met earlier - the one that thought you were deaf.

"He'll give you a uniform we kept from some Shell we offed. It will be sweaty and unwashed, and it won't fit that skinny frame, but going to the Sanctum in that Barbie outfit will get you shot, so weigh your options," he says dryly. "Be nice to him and he might remember he's also supposed to provide you with a small care package for the mission."

He approaches you and holds out his hand again, but this time it seems to be for an actual handshake.

"You're a brave lass. Someone with less tact would say you got balls," he says as he smirks, all proud of his joke, probably the only one he knows judging by his shining personality. "Once you arrive, tell 'em you've been kept hostage by Marshals for months but managed to escape. They'll be starving for intel on our own activities, so it won't be hard for you to be allowed inside the Sanctum if you spin the tale right. Go get 'em, soldier."

Reluctantly approaching the counter and the man who'd welcomed you so warmly to the HQ, you begin to tell him Sven Larson sent you before he cuts you off.

"I heard the whole thing, y'know? You were, like, right there. Jeez."

Visibly inconvenienced, he gets up and disappears behind a nearby door, eventually reappearing with with a black and red uniform that borrows heavily from the famous (if maligned) Team Rocket garments of old. And the clothes are precisely in the condition Larson had told you, because of course they are.

"Here, all yours. Now, we're short on supplies, so you'll have to choose. I got a couple of Super Potions left, a Full Heal, a... hm, ran out of these already? Oh, look, a spare Smoke Ball. And this here... ah, right, two Sitrus Berries. Moldy."

he spreads the meager haul on the counter, but before you can take them, he raises his voice.

"Three. You get to choose three."

Once you've made your choice, he finally points to the PC on the counter. It's so old, it's a wonder how it still works; worst still, it runs Shutters Vista.

"Use that to choose the Pokemon you're gonna take with you, in case you don't know what a PC is for. Good luck, don't get shot, yadda yadda."

Time for your final preparations. Are you ready to do this?
Alice smiled in spite of the Marshall's grating voice, although his words weren't entirely reassuring. Sure, she'd managed to get in and out of the Casino without ever being investigated, but she'd played on her moe idol trash image for that. She wasn't a brute by any means, and couldn't help but worry that if these people could see through trained professionals, her famous idol-trainer arse was going to bullet hell the moment she stepped into the Sanctum. Yeesh.

At least, though, it had been quite a while since she had stepped into Bedlam at all. There was a good chance that the Rib who had seen her - because his friends hadn't - wouldn't have even known she was the same person who had come to Fizzytopia's aid and entertainment on numerous occasions. Hell, plenty of them might not even care for that kind of news or media, and hopefully that would be the same for the Shells. Alice looked down at the map and took a picture of it for reference, especially as she sucked at maps, and then saluted Sven once he was done. "Yes, sir!"

Ah, dealing with the receptionist again. Good shit. He cut her off, and although Alice pulled a face, she looked thoroughly entertained by the way he did it. Nice, she could appreciate that sass at least - and the strict scolding he gave her as she reached for the 'gifts'. "I'll take the Smoke Ball, Full Heal and a Super Potion. Thanks." Alice said, tone balanced as she moved to pack them away. At grasping at the uniform, the blonde cringed, her expression dramatic. "Ick. This is great..." Alice grimaced. "Thanks, though. I don't want my plastic body getting wrecked on sight if I can help it."

She glanced to the computer, thinking hard. Her Pokemon stood out for sure, and some were social media stars as well, especially with their vibrant hues. Alice would have to consider her team well for this one, especially with the risks involved. If she went into the Bastion... She might not even get out. The lag of the computer was frustrating, but it gave her time to think. "Zoey, if you're willing, you're coming along." Alice told the Zubat who chittered an affirmative, happy to comply. Eridian the Bagon and Nina the Alolan Vulpix were among her selection, and when Alice went to change, she had the Pokemon blast the outfit with water and dry it out, hoping that might help the sweat issue. She tried to reduce the smell with deodorant and body mist.

Her things packed into a more subtle bag than previously had and her accessories removed, Alice returned to the lobby, ready to duty. Her blonde hair was pulled into a practical, albeit fluffy, ponytail, and the uniform had been belted to hold the trousers up. Letting Larson know she was ready to roll, final preparations complete, it was off to the Sanctum with Zoey on arm and the others on standby.
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Old 05-17-2018, 07:19 PM   #457
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King Ghidorah- Trekking through the quarry, you find that it is rather deserted, at least at the moment. It was the middle of the day, it would make sense that Ribs would do their work at night when darkness would conceal their shifty behaviour. If you hoped to find riches you were in the right place, but you would have to work quickly to ensure any spoils you gathered weren't swiftly added to the Ribs' coffers.

As you make your way towards the mines entrance, you hear a man shouting for help. Surging forward, it isn't long before the elderly man comes into view. Despite his robust build and age, the old timer could certainly swing a pickaxe. The target of his violent outbursts? A horde of black reptilian Pokemon, all scrambling to get at the contents of a wheelbarrow. The Pokemon were relentless, even when struck down they leapt back to their feet and continued to try and get at the ore the man had gathered.

As he turns to swing, the man catches sight of you and pleads for your assistance. "You there, can you help me get these pesky Salandit away from my haul?!" He continued to lash out with his pickaxe, it was proving ineffective against the agile Salandits, he needed the assistance of Pokemon. Quickly counting the Salandit, you count seven of them however they are moving so quickly that you could have easily miscounted. There was no way of telling what was motivating the Salandit to harass the elderly man, perhaps they simply felt like causing chaos, or perhaps they had a purpose?
“God, those things are relentless,” Hugo thought to himself, watching the Salandit harass the man. “I had always heard that about them, but to actually see it up close in person was a different story.

Hugo knew all about Salandit. When he was a kid, his grandfather had gifted him a set of Pokepedias, and he loved to read about all the different creatures and their habits. Salandit were especially interesting to him. Not only were they an exceptionally unique type combination, but their social hierarchy where the females control the males through use of pheromones – to the point where males couldn’t even evolve – fascinated Hugo.

But there was a time and place for admiration, and this wasn’t it. Someone was bound to get seriously hurt under the current circumstances. Either the Salandit were going to take a bad shot from a pick axe or they were going to overtake the man and…well, Hugo shuddered to think of what would happen then.

And it’s not as if Hugo didn’t notice the wheelbarrow. There was obviously something valuable to someone there. Perhaps he could get a piece of it. And even more appealing to Hugo was the chance that Hugo could capture one of the Salandit.

“Don’t worry!” Hugo shouted to the man. “Help is on the way!”

He pensively fingered the Pokeballs around his waist, weighing the pros and cons of sending each of his Pokemon into battle. But then it donned on him that there was really only one choice that could handle the swarm without being overtaken.

“ONIX!” Hugo shouted as he tossed the Pokeball. A few seconds later, the giant rock snake materialized in front of Hugo with a frenzied roar. Onix towered over Hugo, the Salandit, the man…everything. She was sure to draw the attention of the Salandit, and if she didn’t, she would force them to pay attention.

“Alright, Onix! I want you t—wait, hang on,” Hugo stopped mid-command. “The females run the show with the Salandit, so if we can single out any females, we can cut this thing off at the head….but how do we….I’VE GOT IT!”

Hugo grabbed another Pokeball and released it next to honest. There stood Ponyta in all her flaming, regal beauty. There certainly was a stark contrast between Hugo’s two Pokemon. Onix seethed was rage, ready to launch into attack, while Ponyta radiated with grace and majesty as if she had just descended from Mt. Olympus. Ponyta took notice of Onix’ fury and followed her gaze to the Salandit and the man. Ponyta kicked her heels and shot small flames from her nostrils with a snort, gearing up to fight as well.

“We need to help that man,” Hugo explained. “Those Salandit look fierce, but we’ve got this. We need to take out females. Ponyta, I want you to distract them with Captivate. The males should fall for the distraction. Any that don’t are probably females. Onix, I want you to use Smack Down on the Salandit. Target the females but leave no prisoners! LET’S GO!”
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Old 05-19-2018, 10:56 AM   #458
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Preparations complete and uniform reluctantly put on, you hit the road determined to see this mission through. Your destination is the Crimson Sanctum, effectively the Headqquarters of the Shells, former Team Rocket members determined on controlling all of Bedlam Ridge. Their current target, and greatest concern of the Marshals, seems to be the Bastion of Vacuous Dreams, and it's your mission to find out why and how they plan to make their way inside.

The map might not have done a geat job of conveying to you the sheer distance between Marshal HQ, in the northern part of Bedlam, and the Sanctum all the way to the south-west, however. Walking in the general direction you got from Larson's map, there seems to be nothing ahead for several miles, just an arid landscape with nothing of interest as far as the eye can see. Makes sense, in a way, that two sworn enemies would make camp as far away from one another as possible, but still...

The journey is as uneventful as the road itself for quite a while, but you never manage to feel completely at ease; after all, this is a land of crooks and criminals, and getting jumped on and mugged at any point feels like a very real possibility at every turn. Dust covers your already far from pristine Shell outfit, as you muscle along the winding dirt road lined by withered bushes and dead trees. Criminals would have nowhere to hide if they tried to sneak up on you, you tell yourself as reassuringly as possible... but you still can't bring yourself to relax completely.

"G..Girl... GIRL!" suddenly yells a pained voice up ahead, startling you. "D-don't leave me here!..."

A dark firgure up ahead, lying by the side of the road against a rock, slowly raises a hand in your direction. The voice is strained, dry, heavy with a sense of dread. Cautiously approaching, you realize it's a man in his sixties and in very rough shape.
The old man looks beaten, dehydrated and whatever he wore before is now in rags. Black rags. If they bore any insignia at any point, they are no longer recognizable.

"Please..."

Passing him by, or going around him, would not be hard to do. He seems to be in a bad spot, but if there's one thing that holds tue about Bedlam, is that you should trust nobody. With that said, will you approach the man, or ignore him and move on?
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Old 05-19-2018, 11:17 AM   #459
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Meetan:

Preparations complete and uniform reluctantly put on, you hit the road determined to see this mission through. Your destination is the Crimson Sanctum, effectively the Headqquarters of the Shells, former Team Rocket members determined on controlling all of Bedlam Ridge. Their current target, and greatest concern of the Marshals, seems to be the Bastion of Vacuous Dreams, and it's your mission to find out why and how they plan to make their way inside.

The map might not have done a geat job of conveying to you the sheer distance between Marshal HQ, in the northern part of Bedlam, and the Sanctum all the way to the south-west, however. Walking in the general direction you got from Larson's map, there seems to be nothing ahead for several miles, just an arid landscape with nothing of interest as far as the eye can see. Makes sense, in a way, that two sworn enemies would make camp as far away from one another as possible, but still...

The journey is as uneventful as the road itself for quite a while, but you never manage to feel completely at ease; after all, this is a land of crooks and criminals, and getting jumped on and mugged at any point feels like a very real possibility at every turn. Dust covers your already far from pristine Shell outfit, as you muscle along the winding dirt road lined by withered bushes and dead trees. Criminals would have nowhere to hide if they tried to sneak up on you, you tell yourself as reassuringly as possible... but you still can't bring yourself to relax completely.

"G..Girl... GIRL!" suddenly yells a pained voice up ahead, startling you. "D-don't leave me here!..."

A dark firgure up ahead, lying by the side of the road against a rock, slowly raises a hand in your direction. The voice is strained, dry, heavy with a sense of dread. Cautiously approaching, you realize it's a man in his sixties and in very rough shape.
The old man looks beaten, dehydrated and whatever he wore before is now in rags. Black rags. If they bore any insignia at any point, they are no longer recognizable.

"Please..."

Passing him by, or going around him, would not be hard to do. He seems to be in a bad spot, but if there's one thing that holds tue about Bedlam, is that you should trust nobody. With that said, will you approach the man, or ignore him and move on?
Alice hated maps, and Alice also hated walking for ages and ages with no end in sight, filled with dread and in this miserable outfit in the miserable heat. Well, she'd signed up for Hell, and at least this was relatively peaceful Hell, even if Alice suspected it of being otherwise. Perhaps it was past experiences talking, but she just couldn't shake the bad sensation she had, warning her of something being so very wrong.

A voice made her jump, Zoey immediately tensing up and ready to jump into action. Only, it's an elderly man, and Alice's heart lurches at the sight of him. He's a total mess, for sure. There's no way that Alice can just leave him, but she also knows Bedlam and knows her mission. This could easily be a trap, or Alice could be seen aiding an enemy or acting soft. The blonde can't risk either.

"I won't leave you, don't worry..." Alice trailed off ominously, procuring one of the bright spheres from her belt as well as the large, cool plastic water bottle. Its temperature was unfortunately beginning to rise in the heat, but that would soon be sorted, as in a small burst of hearts an Alolan Vulpix appeared. "Nina, use your frosty breath to cool these water bottles and this man here. And then use hypnosis on him."

The Pokemon was a little surprised at her order but didn't disobey. She used a weakened version of one of her moves to ensure that the water was cold, and Alice handed the bottle to the suffering man. Then, glassy eyes alight with a freezing, psychic blue, Nina tried to induce him with hypnotism. "I need you to tell me how you got in this state, and whether you're with the Ribs and Shells. Tell me everything you know about them, and the Marshalls, too." Alice said firmly. If he was innocent she'd feel bad, but hey, at least then she could whisk him off to safety and she wouldn't have abandoned some old man to die.
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Old 05-19-2018, 01:16 PM   #460
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Meetan:

"In Romma, be Romman", as the saying goes. And so, you take a very Bedlam-like approach to the situation, choosing to mentally probe the frail man before he (or anyone else) has a chance to ambush you.

His trembling hands reach for the ice-cold water but struggle to grab the bottle, and even raising it to his lips proves to be a herculean task, so weakened he has become. The way he eyes the drink, however, makes it clear he has been longing for a chance to kill his thirst for a long time.

Even so, before he can have a proper drink, your pristine-white Vulpix locks her magical gaze on him. Her eyes glow blue, and soon thereafter so do the man's, and Nina begins to pierce the man's mind scavenging for information.

However, he resists.

Flailing his arms about before clutching his head in his hands, the old man screams as he realizes what you're trying to do, as if he's been subjected to it before. Eventually, under the psychic hold that is being used for probing rather than inducing sleep as normally, he begins to crack, but maybe not how you would expect.

"I... I know nothing! You can't... please, stop! They'll... they'll kill..." he stammers, voice failing him on occasion due to the dryness of his throat. "Rigel will kill me! Please, I beg you... I... beg..."

Suddenly, his eyes glaze over; his head drops and he exhales one last time. The old man has died from the strain.

Nina looks at you, uncertain how to react. Did she kill him? Did he kill himself by resisting? Was she to blame?...
The elder lies motionless on the floor, and there seems to be nobody else around to judge you for what just happened. You will never know if this was a trap, but if it was, it seems the man was acting alone...

Now what?
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Old 05-20-2018, 08:43 AM   #461
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Meetan:

"In Romma, be Romman", as the saying goes. And so, you take a very Bedlam-like approach to the situation, choosing to mentally probe the frail man before he (or anyone else) has a chance to ambush you.

His trembling hands reach for the ice-cold water but struggle to grab the bottle, and even raising it to his lips proves to be a herculean task, so weakened he has become. The way he eyes the drink, however, makes it clear he has been longing for a chance to kill his thirst for a long time.

Even so, before he can have a proper drink, your pristine-white Vulpix locks her magical gaze on him. Her eyes glow blue, and soon thereafter so do the man's, and Nina begins to pierce the man's mind scavenging for information.

However, he resists.

Flailing his arms about before clutching his head in his hands, the old man screams as he realizes what you're trying to do, as if he's been subjected to it before. Eventually, under the psychic hold that is being used for probing rather than inducing sleep as normally, he begins to crack, but maybe not how you would expect.

"I... I know nothing! You can't... please, stop! They'll... they'll kill..." he stammers, voice failing him on occasion due to the dryness of his throat. "Rigel will kill me! Please, I beg you... I... beg..."

Suddenly, his eyes glaze over; his head drops and he exhales one last time. The old man has died from the strain.

Nina looks at you, uncertain how to react. Did she kill him? Did he kill himself by resisting? Was she to blame?...
The elder lies motionless on the floor, and there seems to be nobody else around to judge you for what just happened. You will never know if this was a trap, but if it was, it seems the man was acting alone...

Now what?
Alice had not expected that at all, evidently. She hadn't anticipated so severe a reaction, especially from a man so old. Of course, she'd also wanted him to take a drink first, but that seemed like a tiny issue compared to the rest of this mess. "I... Shit." She cursed, aware of how still Zoey had gotten and the way that Nina was looking at her. The poor Vulpix looked distraught, which was how Alice had felt. Murdering a poacher in Minnao Isle had fucked her up enough, but at least then the adrenaline from the gunshot wound had sort of messed that memory up a bit. This? Well...

"I'm not sure we could have saved him anyway. If he was that dehydrated and traumatised, we probably got here too late - and we're assuming he's on the good side, too." Alice said. She crouched down, fluffing Nina's fur reassuringly. To the fox's surprise, after closing the stranger's eyes, Alice began patting him down and checking his pockets for anything that might have been useful or any clues about his identity. "At least if he's got anything on him that might help us, he won't have died in vain. If not, the Shells might be able to tell us something when we get there. I should call the Marshalls and ask who Rigel is..."

Nina gave a small coo of affirmation, but couldn't take her eyes away from the corpse. Alice wasn't going to put her away when they eventually moved on. She probably needed a carry and cuddle, and that aside, Nina was naturally cooler, which was refreshing in this nasty outfit and the spring heat.
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Old 05-21-2018, 12:36 AM   #462
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BEDLAM RIDGE
The Temporary City Zone

Shanty Heights (Neutral): As with any city, upper and lower class are divided, and to the unfortunates of the Shiny Heights sector to the south, the Shells and Ribs have made the location their battleground. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the people of the christened Shanty Heights struggle through life, trapped on all sides with their lives and livelihoods at stake, whether it be from the ruthless Shells or the rascally Ribs. What they do possess is companionship, and a yearning to flee the city as refugees, and will be willing to give whatever it takes to ensure their freedom from the bedlam. The pokemon who call Shanty Heights home are those who possess what the people do not: Freedom of movement and little worry for the battles around them. Reply in Violet.
Bedlam Heights was an oddity for Isaac. It reminded him so much of his home in Unova, but it was torn apart by gang activity and the poor people that chose to stay behind are still forced to suffer their wrath. As he walked along the war torn Shanty Heights, he couldn't help but keep looking behind him. It was frightening to be in such a place. It wasn't like looking behind him constantly was out of the ordinary. In any other region he would have to do the same to avoid any sort of publicity, but this was so much different. If a Shell or Rib snuck up behind him, he'd be toast. And he certainly didn't want that.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he felt comforted in knowing that he had his Pokemon to rely on. His Tynamo floated beside him, ebbing and flowing through the air as he followed his master. It didn't like this place, something about it made it's gills feel tight. But he was here to obey, and he made sure that his master knew that he was with him no matter what. He let out a small call, causing Isaac to turn to him.

"Don't worry Jericho." Isaac murmured into his hands as he lit up a cigarette. "I'm sure this place is abandoned. There should be nothing to worry about." He pulled the cigarette away from his lips and let out a puff of smoke. Isaac may sound confident, but Jericho knew deep down that he was just as afraid as he was.
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Old 05-21-2018, 04:53 PM   #463
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The Bedlam Quarry
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Biggggg5: You decide to run and gun for the exit of the quarry by going over the elevator shaft, while Elsa starts ice beaming cracks formed around you and on the tower. You get an A+ for effort, as you do make it to the top of the now sideways building, but between the rumbling and the sheer number of cracks forming on the ground, Elsa can’t keep up her attacks, causing her to get tired. Before you make it all the way across, the ground beneath the tower breaks wide open pulling it, and you, in. One last desperate jump allows you a brief moment, time slows to a still for you as you realize you are about to take the plunge. One last look at the ground around you shows you King, the guy who had the Dusclops. He looks at you blankly with cold eyes before the ground disconnects your vision.

The fall feels like it lasts for hours, jet fuel might not melt steel beams, but steel beams are surprisingly effective with collapsing old abandoned mines, as it seems to just turn floor after floor into paper, the supports below must’ve rotted a long time ago, needed only a brief amount of pressure to collapse them in their entirety. Eventually the final room shows its face, a massive room, almost 80 feet tall as you see the elevator finally make its destination. Something pink appears at the corner of your eye, rushes underneath you and you land…hard. The resulting blow winds you unconscious.

When you come to, you find yourself in a deep dark cold cave, creaking metal all around you, you’re sore, very sore, but it doesn’t seem like anything major has injured you. Elsa seems to have fallen on top of you as well, if you didn’t return her into her Pokeball during the chaos. Looking around you see what appears to be a large metal building, which might be some sort of resting room for miners long ago, though electricity does still seem to flow down here despite all that collapse, as lights inside start to flicker. You see no traces of the pink whatever it was at all that might’ve saved your life. The tunnel above might be climbable, but you would have a looooong way to go in that direction. Alternatively, you could see if maybe there’s another cave that you can use to slowly make your ascension back to the surface instead. What will you do?
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Old 05-21-2018, 11:59 PM   #464
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The Bedlam Quarry
Please reply in Beige

Biggggg5: You decide to run and gun for the exit of the quarry by going over the elevator shaft, while Elsa starts ice beaming cracks formed around you and on the tower. You get an A+ for effort, as you do make it to the top of the now sideways building, but between the rumbling and the sheer number of cracks forming on the ground, Elsa can’t keep up her attacks, causing her to get tired. Before you make it all the way across, the ground beneath the tower breaks wide open pulling it, and you, in. One last desperate jump allows you a brief moment, time slows to a still for you as you realize you are about to take the plunge. One last look at the ground around you shows you King, the guy who had the Dusclops. He looks at you blankly with cold eyes before the ground disconnects your vision.

The fall feels like it lasts for hours, jet fuel might not melt steel beams, but steel beams are surprisingly effective with collapsing old abandoned mines, as it seems to just turn floor after floor into paper, the supports below must’ve rotted a long time ago, needed only a brief amount of pressure to collapse them in their entirety. Eventually the final room shows its face, a massive room, almost 80 feet tall as you see the elevator finally make its destination. Something pink appears at the corner of your eye, rushes underneath you and you land…hard. The resulting blow winds you unconscious.

When you come to, you find yourself in a deep dark cold cave, creaking metal all around you, you’re sore, very sore, but it doesn’t seem like anything major has injured you. Elsa seems to have fallen on top of you as well, if you didn’t return her into her Pokeball during the chaos. Looking around you see what appears to be a large metal building, which might be some sort of resting room for miners long ago, though electricity does still seem to flow down here despite all that collapse, as lights inside start to flicker. You see no traces of the pink whatever it was at all that might’ve saved your life. The tunnel above might be climbable, but you would have a looooong way to go in that direction. Alternatively, you could see if maybe there’s another cave that you can use to slowly make your ascension back to the surface instead. What will you do?
Big breaks for the elevator, pointing Elsa at as many cracks as he can. And she does her absolute best to freeze as many as she could but she is young and is soon panting. "Sorry... it's... too... much." She gets out. Big makes one last jump as the ground crumbles underneath his feet and he takes one last look toward King before he plummets, clutching Elsa close, partly out of fear, and partly to try and protect her from the impact. The fall is long enough for Big to make peace with his fate before he sees a flash of pink and impacts before seeing nothing but blackness. He eventually comes to (to his own surprise) and finds Elsa resting on his chest. "You ok?" He croaks out in pain as he sits up. She nods slowly, "Yeah just tired." "You take rest then." He smiles with understanding and recalls the ice pokemon as he gets to his feet to look around. "I wonder what that pink thing was." He mutters to himself. His mind wanders to stories of the Legendary pokemon Mew that would occassionly be kind to humans, but that would be crazy. And a mew would have no business being in this crazy city's mine. He reaches to his belt and grabs the luxury ball once more and brings Alucard the Zubat back out. "Hoowee, you are looking rough man. You took a nice fall huh?" Big just looks at Alucard. "Not in the mood huh? I understand, it must suck not being able to fly." Big just shakes his head. "It's too long to climb back up, and I'm not sure I want to interact with those gang members anyway." The Zubat nods. "Let's look for another tunnel out then, there's gotta be something."
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Old 05-22-2018, 12:22 PM   #465
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Meetan:

The end result was far from what you expected. But the deed is done, and the man is dead. After reassuring Nina that the elder was doomed from the start, you decide to try and make the most of the compromising situation; kneeling down, you begin to rummage through the corpse’s rags with surprising determination, almost as if you’ve grown used to handling dead bodies by now.

As it turns out, it’s a good thing you choose to examine the body! Upon closer inspection, you see small traces of red fabric in the torn outfit, increasing the likelihood that this old man had, indeed, been working for the Shells at some point. His torso beneath the clothes is covered in bruises and strange wounds, which look as if they were inflicted by some sort of lash. But it’s the uniform’s pockets that yield the actual payoff: on the back pocket of his trousers you find a 1x Key Card Lv1, which seems to be generic and lacking any real identification, and on the inside pocket of the torn jacket you discover a 1x Locked Box, a small metal cube that fits on the palm of your hand, with a single orifice on one of its sides and which you can’t seem pry open no matter what.

Before you can make sense of it, you hear the flapping of wings overhead, before a shadow above blocks out the sunlight temporarily. Looking up, you see two large creatures preparing to land: a massive Salamence, and a relatively smaller Noivern. The two dragons land right next to you, kicking up a cloud of dust that leaves you looking even worse for wear.

“Fine job grunt!” shouts a man from atop the Salamence’s back. He leaps down to meet you on the ground, holding his hand up in a military salute. A tall and imposing man in his late fifties, with short grizzly hair and impeccably shaven, you have no idea who he is but his presence alone commands respect. His ice-blue eyes stare at you unblinkingly, as if expecting you to do something other than stare back – most likely return the salute, you reason.

Behind him, the man riding the Noivern dismounts as well, but this one doesn’t feel nearly as impressive. A man about your age, with fiery orange hair kept short and hazel eyes, skinny and ever-so-slightly hunched over, he can’t seem to look at you straight, eyes shifting nervously between the ground and the older officer’s boots.

“Anderson, search him,” dryly orders the Salamence rider.

“Y-yes Commander Rigel,” stammers the redhead with a shaky voice, promptly shifting his attention to the dead body as if looking for any and all reasons not to look directly at you.

“Grunt, your name?” Rigel inquires, clearly expecting nothing short of an immediate, concise answer. “You did well to dispose of the traitor. Was he carrying anything on him? Anything at all?”

He looks at you expectantly with his piercing gaze; you don’t quite feel malice coming from him, only an overbearing sense of authority and the slight trace of urgency in his otherwise stern voice…




Naruxami:

Despite being technically “neutral” ground, it’s extremely hard to feel safe in Shanty Heights. Although you’re not stepping directly on Shell or Rib territory, the clear notion that both criminal groups surround the desolate settlement is deeply unnerving, if only the relatively high chance of a knife in your back at any moment.

Jericho floats around you, just as nervous as you are but doing a considerably poorer job of concealing it. If there’s comfort to be had, it’s that his ability to remain airborne, coupled with his constant nervous back-and-forth hovering, makes it less likely for a crook to sneak up behind you.

Although Shanty Heights is supposed to be home to a few of the locals who didn’t flee the once-safe Ridge, you go for several miles without seeing a soul. Most likely, people are hiding in their homes (if you can call home to some of the piles of rubble that surround you), not wanting to risk running into you without knowing your allegiance. The once-glorious city is now a vast landscape of poverty and desolation, and you can’t blame the inhabitants for not being out on the streets if they can avoid it.

Suddenly, a loud commotion up ahead startles you, and Jericho hides behind you instinctively. A few feet away from you, lying helplessly on the main street, is a who struggles to take flight, but can’t seem to do so. As you approach, you understand the cause: its left wing seems to be broken, and the poor bird is covered in cuts. Circling it up ahead are two hungry-looking Mandibuzz, ready to home in on their guaranteed meal. Then, with a blood-curdling cry, one of the large vultures dives in to begin the feast!

Knowing Mandibuzz are usually strong opponents, you might not want to get involved; after all, this is simply nature running its course. But if you choose to step in, this is the absolute last moment to do it, so you better act quick!
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Old 05-22-2018, 12:43 PM   #466
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Meetan:

The end result was far from what you expected. But the deed is done, and the man is dead. After reassuring Nina that the elder was doomed from the start, you decide to try and make the most of the compromising situation; kneeling down, you begin to rummage through the corpse’s rags with surprising determination, almost as if you’ve grown used to handling dead bodies by now.

As it turns out, it’s a good thing you choose to examine the body! Upon closer inspection, you see small traces of red fabric in the torn outfit, increasing the likelihood that this old man had, indeed, been working for the Shells at some point. His torso beneath the clothes is covered in bruises and strange wounds, which look as if they were inflicted by some sort of lash. But it’s the uniform’s pockets that yield the actual payoff: on the back pocket of his trousers you find a 1x Key Card Lv1, which seems to be generic and lacking any real identification, and on the inside pocket of the torn jacket you discover a 1x Locked Box, a small metal cube that fits on the palm of your hand, with a single orifice on one of its sides and which you can’t seem pry open no matter what.

Before you can make sense of it, you hear the flapping of wings overhead, before a shadow above blocks out the sunlight temporarily. Looking up, you see two large creatures preparing to land: a massive Salamence, and a relatively smaller Noivern. The two dragons land right next to you, kicking up a cloud of dust that leaves you looking even worse for wear.

“Fine job grunt!” shouts a man from atop the Salamence’s back. He leaps down to meet you on the ground, holding his hand up in a military salute. A tall and imposing man in his late fifties, with short grizzly hair and impeccably shaven, you have no idea who he is but his presence alone commands respect. His ice-blue eyes stare at you unblinkingly, as if expecting you to do something other than stare back – most likely return the salute, you reason.

Behind him, the man riding the Noivern dismounts as well, but this one doesn’t feel nearly as impressive. A man about your age, with fiery orange hair kept short and hazel eyes, skinny and ever-so-slightly hunched over, he can’t seem to look at you straight, eyes shifting nervously between the ground and the older officer’s boots.

“Anderson, search him,” dryly orders the Salamence rider.

“Y-yes Commander Rigel,” stammers the redhead with a shaky voice, promptly shifting his attention to the dead body as if looking for any and all reasons not to look directly at you.

“Grunt, your name?” Rigel inquires, clearly expecting nothing short of an immediate, concise answer. “You did well to dispose of the traitor. Was he carrying anything on him? Anything at all?”

He looks at you expectantly with his piercing gaze; you don’t quite feel malice coming from him, only an overbearing sense of authority and the slight trace of urgency in his otherwise stern voice…
"Jackpot... At least he didn't die for nothing." Alice had to murmur, followed by an apology to Nina, who was looking at her with some measure of discomfort. She hurried to pack away her things, putting the key card in one of the pockets and the cube zipped away with her make-up, since she doubted that if searched anyone would care to rifle through it too much. She purposely shoved it at the bottom, beneath sanitary pads and basic tablets - items that usually made others scoff or cringe with disinterest and unlikely to probe further.

The shadow made the blonde jump and she was glad that she had straightened up and sorted herself out in time. Alice had clearly made the right choice. On top of that, she didn't need to figure out who this Rigel was, and he gave her the name of a 'fellow' grunt, too. Perfect. Alice gave him the expected salute.

"Molly, sir." She decided not to use her real one, concerned that he or any other thug might recognise her if given too much familiarity. Perhaps looking a mess would help impede that. "Nothing of note, sir. He was barely alive when I got here. I imagine he's already been robbed or gotten rid of anything important, it took nothing to finish him off." She sighed, partially to exhale for her own comfort, inwardly feeling panic and needing to try and stay cool. "I thought someone with the 'guts' to be a traitor might be more of a challenge... Turns out he's just stupid and senile. Right, Vulpix?"

"Vul..." Nina 'agreed', sounding suitably let down. It was just in time for Alice to return her to her capsule, like any grunt no longer needing her tool would.
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Old 05-22-2018, 11:43 PM   #467
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Naruxami:

Despite being technically “neutral” ground, it’s extremely hard to feel safe in Shanty Heights. Although you’re not stepping directly on Shell or Rib territory, the clear notion that both criminal groups surround the desolate settlement is deeply unnerving, if only the relatively high chance of a knife in your back at any moment.

Jericho floats around you, just as nervous as you are but doing a considerably poorer job of concealing it. If there’s comfort to be had, it’s that his ability to remain airborne, coupled with his constant nervous back-and-forth hovering, makes it less likely for a crook to sneak up behind you.

Although Shanty Heights is supposed to be home to a few of the locals who didn’t flee the once-safe Ridge, you go for several miles without seeing a soul. Most likely, people are hiding in their homes (if you can call home to some of the piles of rubble that surround you), not wanting to risk running into you without knowing your allegiance. The once-glorious city is now a vast landscape of poverty and desolation, and you can’t blame the inhabitants for not being out on the streets if they can avoid it.

Suddenly, a loud commotion up ahead startles you, and Jericho hides behind you instinctively. A few feet away from you, lying helplessly on the main street, is a who struggles to take flight, but can’t seem to do so. As you approach, you understand the cause: its left wing seems to be broken, and the poor bird is covered in cuts. Circling it up ahead are two hungry-looking Mandibuzz, ready to home in on their guaranteed meal. Then, with a blood-curdling cry, one of the large vultures dives in to begin the feast!

Knowing Mandibuzz are usually strong opponents, you might not want to get involved; after all, this is simply nature running its course. But if you choose to step in, this is the absolute last moment to do it, so you better act quick!
Jericho looked around, afraid of anything that could possible come at them. He was low-leveled and his movepool was certainly not the best, who knows what he could do to even attempt to protect his trainer if something did spring out and attack them. He watched his master wandering, looking around. He had to admit, it was weird to see his trainer without a Leafeon attached to his hip. Vinny was staying home to watch her daughter, who had probably eaten something to make her ill knowing the little Eevee. His roster was abnormal, but Jericho had to admit he was pleased that the lesser used Pokemon were getting a little bit of love. He himself included.

Isaac wandered around, the barren domes that were once homes were humbling to him. He couldn't imagine losing everything like these people had. The threat of Team Plasma had been stomped out in Unova, but he assumed that if they got further this might be what his home region would look like. He shuddered at the thought of it. He pulled the cigarette out of his lips and tossed it to the ground, stomping on it so he wouldn't start a fire and destroy any remnants of homes or greenery. It was the least he could do for these poor people at this point. Maybe he would contact his agent, he could probably arrange some sort of donation drive for the ridge --- maybe raise enough to allow those with no where else to go to finally leave.

"Buzz!" A loud screech came from a few feet ahead of Isaac, causing him to freeze in his tracks. Jericho's body jumped upward, levitating quickly to hide behind Isaac. Isaac slowly wanders forward, seeing the source of the noise. A small wounded Pidgey is laying in the center of the street, it's left wing in a crumbled heap --- presumably broken by some sort of attack, which was backed up by the numerous cuts shining red from between it's feathers. It's head is focused upward, a concerned expression on it's face. Isaac's eyes follow, noticing the two huge vulture Pokemon circling around it, seemingly ready to swoop down and attack.

"Oh my god." Murmured Isaac, Jericho peaked out from between his legs to see the commotion. He cowered upon seeing the tremendous birds, cawing and making frightening screeches as they prepared themselves to strike. Isaac grabbed two Pokeballs from his belt, releasing an Alolan Sandslash and an Electrike. "Kyp! Django! Protect that Pidgey!" Isaac called, hearing a horrible screech from the direction of the birds. The Sandslash nodded quickly, spraying ice on the ground and sliding on it's stomach to jump in front and protect the Pidgey. He defensively curled his body, exposing his sharp icy spikes towards the Mandibuzz. Kyp was close behind, running and standing beside Django.

"Rike!" Called the Electrike, howling loudly to pump itself up for the battle that was about to ensue.
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Old 05-23-2018, 09:38 AM   #468
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Meetan:

You decide to lie about your findings, despite Commander Rigel’s clear interest in what the dead man was holding on to. You then lie about your name too, and as soon as you do, you hear Anderson – still dutifully scanning the corpse – whisper to himself.

”Molly…”

Rigel’s eyebrow rises as you summarily describe the dead man as both senile and stupid. Arms crossed, the way he strums his fingers repeatedly on his bicep conveys his unspoken irritation.

“I see you weren’t briefed on the target. He was far from either of those things grunt,” he stresses despite now knowing your name. “But you knew enough to put him down and that’s what matters. Well done. The quartermaster will see to your reward back at the Sanctum. Anderson!”

“Y-yes Commander?” he stammers pitifully. Hearing it, Rigel’s frown accentuates and he growls ominously.

“For the millionth time Anderson, I am not a commander and we are no army! Now, move out!”

With that, he jumps back atop his dragon and takes flight back to Shell Headquarters, without so much as looking back. The redhead straightens back up and rigidly walks over to his Noivern, climbs up and – looking straight at the ground still – begins to address you… failing spectacularly.

“…bye...”

The Noivern rises in the air, kicking up yet another cloud of dust in your direction, and leaves. It seems both of them are completely certain that you, being a Shell, have your own method of aerial transportation, and as a result neither of them offers you a ride back to the Sanctum. The good news is, following the two dragons with your eyes, you see them begin to descend not terribly far from your current location, disappearing from sight soon thereafter. It must mean your destination is closer by than you think!

Further inspecting the corpse reveals no new information, and with that, all that remains is getting back on the road. After some thirty minutes the building you so desperately sought finally comes into view, a veritable stronghold of impenetrable stone walls and a large cathedral rising in the middle. At the gate, two men dressed in a black outfit similar to yours stand guard.

“Stop there a minute,” says one of them as you approach. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here.”

“Come on Rick, there’s two hundred of us in here. Don’t tell me you know every single…”

“Yeah but look at her,” the man insists as he points at you. “You’d remember someone looking like her right?! I mean… Wow.”

The second guard falls silent for a moment, looking intensely at you, before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. I would remember; I’ve gotten acquainted with all the ladies worth meeting in the Sanctum, and you’re not one of them. So, grunt…”

He steps forward and looks you dead in the eye as the first man stands firmly by the gate.

“What is the rightful title of our leader Rigel von Argentus?”

It seems addressing Rigel properly is a big deal around these parts. You understand what the guards are trying to do here, and their suspicions are well founded since you are an imposter. Maybe if you provide the right answer they will let you inside…




Naruxami:

Undeterred by the sight of the two massive carrion-eaters overhead, you spring to action to protect the wounded Pidgey despite it not being any of your business. Perhaps more out of instinct than reason, you send out two partners who, despite holding elemental advantage, are certainly weaker in strength than the fully evolved vultures, but it’s all you can do with the squad you chose to bring along…

Your Sandslash resourcefully freezes the path ahead and slides along it like a spiky sled, and miraculously manages to intercept the killer dive before Mandibuzz’s beak pierces the helpless Pidgey. Slamming into the ice stalactites that make up Django’s shell, the bird recoils in pain, screeching loudly as it regains altitude. Kyp, close by, displays his immense courage with an imposing Howl for his diminutive stature.

Resuming their circling routine, the two Mandibuzz cast their shadows on the group as they prepare to dive a second time… but they suddenly break off and fly away, out of sight, having realized that their usual scavenging would require more effort than it’s worth today.

*Django has gained 2 Levels!*
*Kyp has gained 2 Levels!*


The Pidgey looks around in confusion, likely having expected to meet its fate given its current condition. It stares at Django and Kyp with apprehension, wondering if they only fought off the vultures so they could be the ones to eat it, until a surge of pain causes it to wince and pass out from accumulated injuries.

“BACK OFF!”

The sudden cry startles you, and you spot three young men, likely in their early teens, jump out of a nearby pile of rubble, each of them holding rocks.

“We saw it first! That bird is our lunch, not yours!!”

You quickly realize what happened. These kids were waiting for the Mandibuzz to finish off the Pidgey, then they’d chase away the vultures with rocks and split the bird among themselves...

“It’s not fair,” mumbles one of the kids with tears in his eyes. “You look like you ate just yesterday, or the day before…”

“Hand over that bird,” threatens the oldest-looking of the group, still no older than fifteen you reckon. “We’ll fight you for it if we have to, believe me!”
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Old 05-23-2018, 09:54 AM   #469
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Meetan:

You decide to lie about your findings, despite Commander Rigel’s clear interest in what the dead man was holding on to. You then lie about your name too, and as soon as you do, you hear Anderson – still dutifully scanning the corpse – whisper to himself.

”Molly…”

Rigel’s eyebrow rises as you summarily describe the dead man as both senile and stupid. Arms crossed, the way he strums his fingers repeatedly on his bicep conveys his unspoken irritation.

“I see you weren’t briefed on the target. He was far from either of those things grunt,” he stresses despite now knowing your name. “But you knew enough to put him down and that’s what matters. Well done. The quartermaster will see to your reward back at the Sanctum. Anderson!”

“Y-yes Commander?” he stammers pitifully. Hearing it, Rigel’s frown accentuates and he growls ominously.

“For the millionth time Anderson, I am not a commander and we are no army! Now, move out!”

With that, he jumps back atop his dragon and takes flight back to Shell Headquarters, without so much as looking back. The redhead straightens back up and rigidly walks over to his Noivern, climbs up and – looking straight at the ground still – begins to address you… failing spectacularly.

“…bye...”

The Noivern rises in the air, kicking up yet another cloud of dust in your direction, and leaves. It seems both of them are completely certain that you, being a Shell, have your own method of aerial transportation, and as a result neither of them offers you a ride back to the Sanctum. The good news is, following the two dragons with your eyes, you see them begin to descend not terribly far from your current location, disappearing from sight soon thereafter. It must mean your destination is closer by than you think!

Further inspecting the corpse reveals no new information, and with that, all that remains is getting back on the road. After some thirty minutes the building you so desperately sought finally comes into view, a veritable stronghold of impenetrable stone walls and a large cathedral rising in the middle. At the gate, two men dressed in a black outfit similar to yours stand guard.

“Stop there a minute,” says one of them as you approach. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here.”

“Come on Rick, there’s two hundred of us in here. Don’t tell me you know every single…”

“Yeah but look at her,” the man insists as he points at you. “You’d remember someone looking like her right?! I mean… Wow.”

The second guard falls silent for a moment, looking intensely at you, before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. I would remember; I’ve gotten acquainted with all the ladies worth meeting in the Sanctum, and you’re not one of them. So, grunt…”

He steps forward and looks you dead in the eye as the first man stands firmly by the gate.

“What is the rightful title of our leader Rigel von Argentus?”

It seems addressing Rigel properly is a big deal around these parts. You understand what the guards are trying to do here, and their suspicions are well founded since you are an imposter. Maybe if you provide the right answer they will let you inside…
Alice's cheeks flushed red at her reprimand, worrying that she might have already given herself away. Apparently not, although it made her nervous how it seemed that Rigel had been committing her name to memory, almost. Soon he was gone, though, hopefully nothing to worry over. If the big boss had considered her worth putting down or otherwise dealing with, they probably would have done it on the spot. A lazy wave to Anderson and he was gone, too, with Alice stuck on foot. Great. She really needed to get her lazy arse something that could properly carry her on land or through the air.

It only took half an hour more, though, and she had gotten into her water supply on the way to keep her strength up and mind sharp. The Sanctum was impressive, but it was a shame to see somewhere that had once been a place of pure worship now defiled and corrupted by the Shells' presence. The grunts at the gate stopped her and Alice locked up a bit, trying not to cringe as the security detail ran their mouths. At least Alice had already learned not to run hers.

"Maybe I'm just having an eleven kind of day." Alice tried to dismiss their attention, uneasy. What the women of the Sanctum must have put up with. She hoped that none of them were as docile as Anderson or these guys probably took advantage. It was hard for Alice to know what to do other than squirm, because any kind of attention drawn would surely bring this mission to a fatal end. "His rightful title is Marquis. Look, I just got back from finishing that traitor off and I have to see the quartermaster. Can I please go in now?"
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Old 05-23-2018, 05:11 PM   #470
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The Bastion of Vacuous Dreams (Neutral): The centrepiece of the city located fittingly in the middle, the Bastion of Dreams was the main government building, stretching into the skies, and where the Goldenridge Council met their bloody end. The enormous structure yet stands, but no side dares to contest for the obvious vantage for fear of what lies within. Legends state that the building was constructed above and around a shrine to a creature of unknown origin said to sway the minds of those who happened upon it. As a result, it is largely abandoned, and many of the valuable documents within are up for grabs, though rumours have it that the final survivor of the council resides within, watching the world crumble around her, with an enigmatic force keeping her safe. Even the deities know not what pokemon are brave enough to reside within, but one thing is certain: those who have ventured in...have never emerged again. Reply in Dark Green.
Man... Lost again?


The giant man stood before the Bastion of Vacuous Dreams with a confused expression. Had he taken a wrong turn somewhere? This really didn't look like the Marshal HQ he'd been searching for...

"Maybe they're 'iding inside, y'know? Just in case," he said out loud, attempting to sound reassuring. The two Pokemon behind him, however, were having none of it. "Aw come on guys, dun be like that!"

Bomber the Geodude brought a rocky palm to his face in desperation, while Blizzer the Cubchoo shook his head repeatedly; he wasn't mad, just disappointed.

Hanson Briggs whipped out his PokeGear and stared at the screen for a long time, before sighing and giving up. He had no clue what this building was, but it beat wandering the wasteland for another three hours, so they might as well go in.

"We're doin' this guys! Come on, cheer up will ya?" He turned to face the Geodude and Cubchoo and greeted them with the same huge grin that always preceded one of the three jokes he knew. "I know we're off to a rocky start, but we gotta man up and bear it! Heh? Get it?!"

Grimacing briefly as if they'd been pierced by invisible needles, his two Pokemon companions said nothing and went ahead without him, approaching the Bastion's gate and forcing the Gentle Giant to catch up with them, still all proud of his delivery.
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Old 05-24-2018, 01:31 AM   #471
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Naruxami:

Undeterred by the sight of the two massive carrion-eaters overhead, you spring to action to protect the wounded Pidgey despite it not being any of your business. Perhaps more out of instinct than reason, you send out two partners who, despite holding elemental advantage, are certainly weaker in strength than the fully evolved vultures, but it’s all you can do with the squad you chose to bring along…

Your Sandslash resourcefully freezes the path ahead and slides along it like a spiky sled, and miraculously manages to intercept the killer dive before Mandibuzz’s beak pierces the helpless Pidgey. Slamming into the ice stalactites that make up Django’s shell, the bird recoils in pain, screeching loudly as it regains altitude. Kyp, close by, displays his immense courage with an imposing Howl for his diminutive stature.

Resuming their circling routine, the two Mandibuzz cast their shadows on the group as they prepare to dive a second time… but they suddenly break off and fly away, out of sight, having realized that their usual scavenging would require more effort than it’s worth today.

*Django has gained 2 Levels!*
*Kyp has gained 2 Levels!*


The Pidgey looks around in confusion, likely having expected to meet its fate given its current condition. It stares at Django and Kyp with apprehension, wondering if they only fought off the vultures so they could be the ones to eat it, until a surge of pain causes it to wince and pass out from accumulated injuries.

“BACK OFF!”

The sudden cry startles you, and you spot three young men, likely in their early teens, jump out of a nearby pile of rubble, each of them holding rocks.

“We saw it first! That bird is our lunch, not yours!!”

You quickly realize what happened. These kids were waiting for the Mandibuzz to finish off the Pidgey, then they’d chase away the vultures with rocks and split the bird among themselves...

“It’s not fair,” mumbles one of the kids with tears in his eyes. “You look like you ate just yesterday, or the day before…”

“Hand over that bird,” threatens the oldest-looking of the group, still no older than fifteen you reckon. “We’ll fight you for it if we have to, believe me!”
Seeing the enormous vultures fly away causes Kyp to yip out proudly, he turns towards the small bird he was protecting, the poor thing looked like it had taken quite the beating. It's eyes were wild, darting from Kyp to Django with a sense of fear in them. Django uncurled himself and turned to the Pidgey, murmuring in his droning voice about how everything was going to be okay now. The Pidgey seems unconvinced, but it's eyes suddenly widen and it faints from it's injuries and the sheer exhaustion that it had been suffering due to the anticipation of dying. Django looks shocked, turning to Kyp who alerts Isaac with a few loud commanding barks.

Isaac, hearing Kyp's cries and whimpers, walks over and notices the poor Pidgey. He tuts quietly, the concern he feels is immense. If they don't get this poor bird to a hospital as soon as possible it might be too late. He pulls out a Pokeball from his pack, ready to scoop up the small bird and run him to the nearest Pokecenter. As he readies himself, he hears a shout from behind him. He stands up in a hurry, ready to fight off whatever thug had yelled. Instead, Isaac was greeted by faces of children.

The kids walk out from behind their dirt pile. Their clothes are ratted and torn, their eyes show little light, and their bodies had become frail and thin due to their lack of proper meals. One of the kids has tears in his eyes as he mumbles about Isaac looking well fed. Isaac feels his hand ball into a fist, subconsciously protective of the tiny bird. He knows these kids are hungry, but eating a Pokemon is out of the question. He would have to try to reason with them. The oldest looking child takes another step towards Isaac, demanding the bird. He threatens a fight if Isaac does not comply. Isaac shakes his head slowly, keeping his eyes focused on the group.

"Look, I don't want to fight but this poor Pidgey is just a baby Pokemon!" He sighed, knowing he probably came off as an ass. "Sorry. I know you're probably extremely hungry..." Kyp looks up at his trainer expectantly. "I don't know if it'll help you at all, but I can offer you kids some money for food. Anything to make you leave this poor bird alone." Django stands in front of the Pidgey protectively, nothing would get past him if they tried to rush past Isaac. Kyp and Jericho hover behind Isaac, ready to jump into a fight if they needed to protect their master.
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Old 05-24-2018, 02:31 AM   #472
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BEDLAM RIDGE
The Temporary City Zone

Bedlam Quarry (Neutral): Hotly contested by both the Marshals and the Ribs, the Goldenridge Quarry is the source of the gold and minerals that gave life to the town, and as such is highly valued as a source of funding for all groups. Found in the north-east, the open-cast mine goes deep into the mountainside, and there are still riches to be found as long as one is careful given the turmoil within. The miners have since fled, with only the foolhardiest and toughest remaining to maintain the machinery and extract minerals. The mountainous terrain is a haven to pokemon who enjoy the rocky locale, and there have been sightings of greedy pokemon too. Reply in Beige.
It been a while since Jayson last set foot in Bedlam. Bedlam was the first place he'd visited in Fizzytopia, he'd arrived with a carefree heart, his new starter Pokemon Atalanta close to his side. They'd both grown and experienced a lot since then, but Jayson never thought he'd return here. Their first adventure had been intense to say the least, they were lucky to escape with their lives and Jayson wasn't exactly pleased with the person he became here. He had fallen into the mayhem of the city, sunk to the level of its worst inhabitants. It had taken him quite some time to overcome the trauma, but now he was at a place where he was confident enough to return.

He'd not been to the Quarry on his last visit and he hoped it wouldn't be as chaotic as the city. He wasn't about to rush back in, he'd warm up in the Quarry before heading into the city again. Two Pokemon accompanied him as he wandered through the somewhat abandoned quarry, Blinky the Chinchou bounced around on his weirdly cute feet, while Iron Maiden the Ferroseed rolled across the hard ground. They made their way towards a tunnel that seemed to lead into the mountainside. Jayson knew the area was contested by both the gangs and the Marshals, he'd like to avoid directly getting involved in the conflict but he knew better than most that in Bedlam you didn't really have a choice.

"Alright Bedlam, show me what you've got."
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Old 05-24-2018, 12:20 PM   #473
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Meetan:

The guards look at you for a moment, before nodding simultaneously. Their expressions change from mocking to serious, and the one closer to you steps aside.

“Yeah, Marquis for now. Once we breach the Bastion we better get used to calling him Grand Duke.”

They open the gate, and you finally enter the Crimson Sanctum. You can feel their gazes locked on you as you pass them by, but fortunately neither tries anything funny. You find yourself in a massive hall, with a large stone pillars from ground to ceiling shaped like coiling Milotic. There are large open gates on each side wall, and a closed one in the wall directly in front of you. You reason you are now inside the wide circular fortress-like wall that surrounds the Cathedral, and that the doorways on both sides lead to corridors that run the full perimeter of the wall while the closed gate blocks the path to the former place of worship.

Obviously, you don’t know your way around. That is one of the many issues with this mission – you are impersonating a grunt who should, by all accounts, know the Crimson Sanctum like the back of her hand, but you have no clue where anything is and asking around would only make you look suspicious…

Suddenly, something bumps into your leg, but by the time you react, you only manage to catch a glimpse of a small Rattata fleeing quickly. However, as it brushed up against your leg, it seems to have dropped off something at your feet – kneeling down, you grab the small piece of paper and are astonished to find it contains a message directed specifically at you!

“Quartermaster is to the right, four doors down the corridor.”

You stare at the paper with conflicting feelings. On the one hand, it’s fortunate that you don’t have to ask for directions and risk blowing your cover; but on the other hand, the mere existence of this note might well imply your cover is already blown – why would someone be sending you tips unless they knew your true purpose for being here?

Whatever the reason, you now know where to go. Taking the corridor to the right, you keep going until you reach the intended door. Peering inside, you see a small room with a grumpy-looking man in his forties standing behind a tiny wooden counter, with a scar running across his face and over his right eye. Judging by the lack of space, you reckon this might’ve once been a monk’s bedroom, adapted to serve as the quartermaster’s shop.

“Whatcha lookin’ at grunt?” he barks from within, annoyed by your staring. “Ya know the drill, if ya want payment for a completed mission show me the proof!”





Naruxami:

Despite the obviously malnourished state of the three kids in front of you, eating a Pokemon is where you draw the line. Even in the face of an open threat, you hold your ground, determined not to let the teens have their way with the Pidgey. It’s a morally complicated decision, prioritizing the Pokemon’s immediate survival over the kids’ short-term one, but you try to make ends meet by offering some sort of monetary compensation. Hearing this, the boy who threatened you spits at your feet.

“A lot of good your money’s gonna do around here! We’ll make ourselves a nice Pokedollar bill salad!”

The other kid, the one who was welling up, bursts into actual tears as he realizes they won’t get to eat today either. You guess he must be between twelve and thirteen, and to make matters worse, there is nothing more emasculating for a boy that age to cry in public.

The only way the scene can get any worse is if they suddenly decide to stone you instead of the Mandibuzz, but when the third boy speaks up – the one who had remained silent until now, the youngest of the bunch – things take a bit of a turn.

“So… you’re not going to eat it?” His high-pitched voice is, contrary to the other two, somewhat hopeful. He walks up to you, and you estimate he must be no older than ten or eleven. “If you promise to take care of it, then… Then we won’t be mad. Right guys?”

The two older kids stare at him in disbelief. Clearly, their opinion couldn’t be any more different, but neither seems to have the courage to tell him. After all, they’re friends, and it seems they feel the obligation of looking after the younger boy.

“Here Mr. Trainer,” the kid continues, holding out a small red sphere. “Nobody in Shanty Heights keeps Pokemon anymore because we can’t feed them, so we don’t need these. But maybe you can help out little Pidgey if you hurry to the Center!”

As he places the 1x Poké Ball in your hand, the other two kids drop their rocks and shake their heads.

“Jude, come on… we gotta go find food somewhere,” says the older one as he glares coldly at you.

“Yeah, it’ll get dark soon and the blanket might come out,” says the sobbing one, making no sense whatsoever.

Before they leave, little Jude stares at you one last time to make sure you do the “right thing”, before waving you goodbye and joining his friends.

Left alone again, you and your Pokemon look at the fainted Pidgey, whose breathing is becoming increasingly quicker and shallower. What will you do?...





TheKnightsFury:

The journey back to Bedlam Ridge brings unwanted memories, but at the same time, the very fact that you can face them is a testament to your growth. This time around, however, you tread new ground within the old land, opting to explore the Quarry.

… or you would, if only you could actually enter it.

“Area’s off limits to civilians,” you suddenly hear someone say in the most emotionless monotone you’ve ever heard.

The entrance to the mining area has been closed off, with several Marshals and their Lairon forming a line to prevent passersby from entering the precinct. Looking at you with the expression of someone suffering from terminal boredom is the highest-ranking officer of the operation, at least judging by the extra medals in his uniform.

“Due to an unforeseen increase in radioactive readings coming from the mine,” he continues in a speech that has clearly been repeated to exhaustion, “civilians are prohibited from approaching the mine. Those who attempt to do so will be arrested according to Bedlam Ridge law. Please move along, there is nothing to see here.”

You can see the open-cast mine up ahead completely devoid of people, when one would usually expect to see at least a few members of each rival faction exploring the area for resources. You doubt either Shells or Ribs care for “Bedlam Ridge Law”, if there even is such a thing, but the fact that none of them are around probably means this really is a dangerous situation…

So? Are you a law-abiding citizen, or not quite?
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Old 05-25-2018, 02:54 AM   #474
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TheKnightsFury:

The journey back to Bedlam Ridge brings unwanted memories, but at the same time, the very fact that you can face them is a testament to your growth. This time around, however, you tread new ground within the old land, opting to explore the Quarry.

… or you would, if only you could actually enter it.

“Area’s off limits to civilians,” you suddenly hear someone say in the most emotionless monotone you’ve ever heard.

The entrance to the mining area has been closed off, with several Marshals and their Lairon forming a line to prevent passersby from entering the precinct. Looking at you with the expression of someone suffering from terminal boredom is the highest-ranking officer of the operation, at least judging by the extra medals in his uniform.

“Due to an unforeseen increase in radioactive readings coming from the mine,” he continues in a speech that has clearly been repeated to exhaustion, “civilians are prohibited from approaching the mine. Those who attempt to do so will be arrested according to Bedlam Ridge law. Please move along, there is nothing to see here.”

You can see the open-cast mine up ahead completely devoid of people, when one would usually expect to see at least a few members of each rival faction exploring the area for resources. You doubt either Shells or Ribs care for “Bedlam Ridge Law”, if there even is such a thing, but the fact that none of them are around probably means this really is a dangerous situation…

So? Are you a law-abiding citizen, or not quite?
It took longer than expected for them to run into an obstacle..... The Marshals had taken it upon themselves to section of the mining area due to an apparent radiation risk. Jayson didn't exactly buy the story, it smelled of them covering up some other operation. He wasn't about to let them stop him from going about his business, if he wanted to go into the mine then he was going to do it. The Marshals had all but ruined his first venture to Bedlam, they were unreliable and seemed to care more about their own agenda than actually taking care of the city.

"Of course officer", Jayson began to lie through his teeth, "I wouldn't want to break Bedlam Ridge Law." He had broken countless laws last time, but it had suited them then. Jayson peered past the row of officers, they just needed a distraction so they could get to the other side. Jayson retreated from sight before unleashing another Pokemon. Sigurd the Gallade quickly assessed the situation via their telepathic link and the two quickly developed a plan.

"Alright Blinky, we need you to create a distraction. Fire a Zap Cannon into the side of the quarry, hopefully that'll make a loud enough noise to draw the attention of the Marshals. Sigurd will then Teleport us all inside the quarry and we'll continue our little adventure as if the Marshals were never blocking us in the first place. Jayson grinned, sure he was breaking the law again, but this time it was harmless, right?
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Old 05-25-2018, 03:49 AM   #475
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Naruxami:

Despite the obviously malnourished state of the three kids in front of you, eating a Pokemon is where you draw the line. Even in the face of an open threat, you hold your ground, determined not to let the teens have their way with the Pidgey. It’s a morally complicated decision, prioritizing the Pokemon’s immediate survival over the kids’ short-term one, but you try to make ends meet by offering some sort of monetary compensation. Hearing this, the boy who threatened you spits at your feet.

“A lot of good your money’s gonna do around here! We’ll make ourselves a nice Pokedollar bill salad!”

The other kid, the one who was welling up, bursts into actual tears as he realizes they won’t get to eat today either. You guess he must be between twelve and thirteen, and to make matters worse, there is nothing more emasculating for a boy that age to cry in public.

The only way the scene can get any worse is if they suddenly decide to stone you instead of the Mandibuzz, but when the third boy speaks up – the one who had remained silent until now, the youngest of the bunch – things take a bit of a turn.

“So… you’re not going to eat it?” His high-pitched voice is, contrary to the other two, somewhat hopeful. He walks up to you, and you estimate he must be no older than ten or eleven. “If you promise to take care of it, then… Then we won’t be mad. Right guys?”

The two older kids stare at him in disbelief. Clearly, their opinion couldn’t be any more different, but neither seems to have the courage to tell him. After all, they’re friends, and it seems they feel the obligation of looking after the younger boy.

“Here Mr. Trainer,” the kid continues, holding out a small red sphere. “Nobody in Shanty Heights keeps Pokemon anymore because we can’t feed them, so we don’t need these. But maybe you can help out little Pidgey if you hurry to the Center!”

As he places the 1x Poké Ball in your hand, the other two kids drop their rocks and shake their heads.

“Jude, come on… we gotta go find food somewhere,” says the older one as he glares coldly at you.

“Yeah, it’ll get dark soon and the blanket might come out,” says the sobbing one, making no sense whatsoever.

Before they leave, little Jude stares at you one last time to make sure you do the “right thing”, before waving you goodbye and joining his friends.

Left alone again, you and your Pokemon look at the fainted Pidgey, whose breathing is becoming increasingly quicker and shallower. What will you do?...
Isaac felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach upon hearing his offer refused by the teens. He supposed they were right, money would have no value to them in the place of real actual food. He sighed as he watched the one devolve into a blubbering mess, murmuring about the blanket coming out. He clutched the Pokeball that the child had given him tightly. This item, although meaningless to someone who wasn't a trainer, was probably one of that child's only possessions. As the kids began to leave Isaac could spot the one that had handed him the Pokeball in the first place making sure that he was doing the right thing. Isaac gave a solemn nod, waving goodbye to Jude and turning towards Django and Kyp. Kyp is sniffing the small bird and giving a concerned whimper. It's clear that this poor bird's life was hanging in the balance at this point.

"Do you think it will be safer in the Pokeball?" Asked Isaac, not knowing what it was like inside one of those orb like structures. Django nodded, gesturing towards the bird as if to say 'do you really want to carry it and risk hurting it more?' Isaac nodded back, moving closer towards the bird. "Don't worry little guy, uh, or little girl. We'll get you the help you need, I swear it." He gently rolled the Pokeball towards the bird, not wanting to hit it too hard and cause more injury. He watched as the red light came forward and sucked in the bird. He prayed the ball would lock right away, so that they could run as fast as possible to the nearest Pokemon Hospital.
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