Pokemon Umbral Theatre 36: We're Alone, We're Very Alone

[Menarker]

Yay. =3

Regarding the preparation stage stuff, I suppose this mean that External pokebrid actions that target enemies will now be used at the speed of the user instead of being done during the prep stage?

Otherwise, it all looks great. ^^

[Astral Harmony]

If they directly affect the enemy, yes, in which case I think all of them do.

Off The Wall (Apr 3rd) by Astral Harmony

Today's Topic: Pokemon Gyms In Honmyr

- Astral Harmony: "What it is, what it is, what it is with this biz?"

- Raven: "And like that, y'lost me."

- Astral Harmony: "Don't worry, you'll catch on to my eccentricities or whatever, Raven. But it's not a requirement or anything."

- Raven: "I think I getcha now. Anyways, hello there, that crazy bitch is the Astral Harmony and I am Raven McCullic. You haven't met me yet in the RP itself but some of you might know me in-character regardless since I am the gym leader of the Dark-type gym here in partly cloudy with a chance of drizzling Fainas Metropolis. And today's topic has already been revealed; we will be discussing the gyms and gym leaders of Honmyr."

- Astral Harmony: "That's right. So strap yourselves on... ergh, in... you know what? Do both, and let's get down to business."

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Pokemon Gyms In Honmyr

How It Differs From the Games & Anime: Pokemon Gyms In Honmyr are not structured in any way of ascending challenge. All gyms in Honmyr are equally brutal and acquiring even one badge can make you pretty popular as a badass. The gym environments are typically hazardous and themed on the gym's type, and the defending trainers and gym leaders aren't mere Pokemon Trainers. Some of them are Slayers, Pokebrids, Riders, or Pokemonks and will fight alongside their Pokemon when challenged.

Boyd's Mead Mountain
- Gym Type: Bug
- Leader's Name: Boyd Waltkettle
- Leader Class: Pokebrid [Heracross / Pincir / Yanmega]
- Leader Specialty: Engineer
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Beedrill / Leader Vespiquen / Ariados / Scizor / Crustle / Scolipede
- Name of Badge: Nectar Badge
- Gym Location: Farmlands
- Gym Challenge: Accept the Golden Chalice at the entrance. There are six large barrels located throughout the gym and there will be a single trainer protecting each barrel. You can challenge the leader with just accessing mead from three barrels, but you gain greater and greater rewards with adding mead from additional barrels to the chalice. And don't worry, Boyd can taste and identify which kinds of mead and how many varieties have gone into the concoction.
- Leader Backstory: Boyd's been in the mead business since he was four years old. He is now forty-two years old, and his passion for the absolute best mead ever hasn't thinned a bit. He's plump, he's jolly, and he's really friendly and neighborly. He also has a big, powerful laugh and tends to laugh at just about anything.

The Obsidian Dome
- Gym Type: Dark
- Leader's Name: Raven McCullic
- Leader Class: Slayer [Uses an obsidian blade flamberge with a poison reservoir and an obsidian-spiked mace with an electrical charge capability.]
- Leader Specialty: Shock Trooper
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Malamar / Leader Zoroark / Hydreigon / Bisharp / Drapion / Sableye
- Name of Badge: Lightdrinker Badge
- Gym Location: Northern Fainas Metropolis
- Gym Challenge: The gym is filled with an odorless and non-toxic black chemical fog that prevents you from seeing half a foot in front of your face... that is, unless you use the special vision modes on your Inquiry Visor, but wandering around in the darkness is part of the fun, man! The gym is otherwise fairly straightforward, but the defending trainers know the gym's layout like their own birthday, and can easily ambush those who make too much noise. Nothing special is required to challenge Raven herself, but expect a large number of the Pokemon, and Raven herself, to be donning Cool Sunglasses. She tends to offer larger cash rewards to those who do not rely on their Inquiry Visors to navigate the manmade darkness. Oh, and you should also note that it'll be 100% Fog of War effects in every battle.
- Leader Backstory: Raven's a tough girl, but remains a girl without any tomboyish attributes despite her hardcore nature. She has a fraternal twin sister in Love McCullic, and is the unwanted object of affection of the Ghost gym leader Derrick. She's a little upset that the bizarre relationship triangle between her sister, Derrick and herself is making things uncomfortable between them and she just wishes they could all get along without it getting weird. You'll learn more in the Leader Backstory section of Sanguine Manor.

Sanguine Manor
- Gym Type: Fairy
- Leader's Name: Love McCullic Ramsey
- Leader Class: No other classes. She's just a Pokemon Trainer.
- Leader Specialty: Medic
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Florges / Leader Diancie / Azumarill / Mawile / Whimsicott / Mr. Mime
- Name of Badge: Matrimony Badge
- Gym Location: Southern Fainas Metropolis (torn down and rebuilt after Elshie lost her job as leader)
- Gym Challenge: A lot of rooms and a lot of trainers and only two of the doors within the manor are unlocked. When you defeat the trainers, they offer you keys. Regardless of what route you choose, or all of them, you will eventually get the key to unlock the second floor door in the central hall where Love awaits. There's a buffet of baked goods that can heal you and your Pokemon. This is obviously considered one of the easier gyms, although it typically does have the most defending trainers. The award for defeating Love doesn't change if you partake in the treats, but does increase depending on the number of trainers you challenge beforehand. Defeat 'em all and win it big.
- Leader Backstory: It would be difficult to tell who is more of a loving feminine woman, Love McCullic Ramsey or Deredere Pink. Hell, they both almost religiously wear pink and white, although Love also contributes gold into her choice of attire. Love is married to Derrick, the Ghost-type gym leader, and while they have three beloved children and she sincerely loves Derrick with all of her boundless heart and couldn't be happier with the marriage, she is troubled by the fact that Derrick has and always will be in love with her fraternal twin sister Raven more than her. She has even talked to him about both sisters becoming his wives, something that both Raven and Derrick vehemently rebuked.

The Sculpted Garden
- Gym Type: Fighting
- Leader's Name: Isabelle Morgaine
- Leader Class: Pokemonk [Has incredible martial arts talents, including her own style called "Armor Destroying Fist", but also uses a trident].
- Leader Specialty: Medic
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Gallade / Leader Lucario / Conkeldurr / Poliwrath / Hariyama / Breloom
- Name of Badge: Perfection Badge
- Gym Location: Wintervale
- Gym Challenge: There are huge blocks of ice preventing you from simply advancing straight to challenge Isabelle. In order to deal with these blocks of ice, the gym has catapults, explosives and rockets. The path that you will be forced to take will depend on which method you employ to shatter each ice block. Those who make all the right choices can easily skip the difficult defending trainers and take on Isabelle for a much larger reward than those who mess up.
- Leader Backstory: Isabelle is only twelve years old, but already she can lift things many times heavier than herself and shatter blocks of ice that are stronger than steel. The beautiful statues of Pokemon sculpted from ice can be attributed to her advanced training in her own personal martial arts, which has toughened her body to withstand anything and honed her fists to be able to shatter anything. She, however, is not particularly intelligent. In fact, she doesn't even remember what combination of tools to use to break through the ice blocks correctly. But she is a kind and warmhearted girl and can give massages that will take all of your aches away and make you feel like a whole new person.

Strange New Skies
- Gym Type: Flying
- Leader's Name: Sylvanille
- Leader Class: Pokebrid [Starmie / Milotic / Blastoise]
- Leader Specialty: Engineer
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Gliscor / Leader Noivern / Skarmory / Honchkrow / Sigilyph / Staraptor
- Name of Badge: Nimbus Badge
- Gym Location: Sunken Commonwealth
- Gym Challenge: After you're done reeling from the fact that a water-type Pokebrid is leader of a flying-type gym in an underwater city, you get to create and alter an extremely bizarre maze. By activating and deactivating a series of powerful fans to blow water into the air, you can actually create surfable "bridges" that lead from one platform to the next in a series of platforms that eventually lead to the gym leader. If you fall out of a water bridge, you will be required to defeat a defending trainer to return to the previous area and attempt to cross again. The rewards for defeating the gym leader are greater when you require less "return battles" to reach the gym leader.
- Leader Backstory: Sylvanille has much potential as a person of talent, but unfortunately lacks direction and dreams. And even the Sunken Commonwealth couldn't bring her any ideas about what to do with her capabilities, so she just one day threw her hands up in the air, gave up, and chose gym leader as a career entirely at random. Believing that the Sunken Commonwealth having a water-type Pokemon gym was too cliche, she instead focused on it being a gym for a Pokemon that usually can't survive in the water. This would usually mean fire, but she picked the flying type instead because she already had an idea for what the gym should be like.

Trial of the Dead
- Gym Type: Ghost
- Leader's Name: Derrick Ramsey
- Leader Class: Slayer [Uses a much larger, much heavier version of the Dragon Slave and some kicking style martial arts. Yep, you're not the only one who wonders why he runs a Ghost-type gym.]
- Leader Specialty: Shock Trooper
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Chandelure / Leader Spiritomb / Trevenant / Gengar / Goluxe / Banette
- Name of Badge: Afterlife Badge
- Gym Location: Laotar City ['Bout an hour-long drive to the east of Fainas, I guess]
- Gym Challenge: Underground and labyrinthine, a strange dark violet ethereal mist will keep warping you back as you attempt to make progress forward. There are tombstones located on the sides of the paths, protected by trainers. At any rate, each of the tombstones will have riddles on them, and answering them correctly by speaking out loud the proper answer will cause the obscuring mist to dissipate, allowing you to make further progress. Actually, giving an incorrect answer will also allow the mist to dissipate, but not as much, requiring you to battle additional defending trainers and dealing with more tombstone riddles. The rewards for defeating Derrick increase when you require less tombstone riddles to advance to the leader by answering the riddles correctly.
- Leader Backstory: Derrick, despite the concepts behind his choice of Pokemon and the nature of his gym, is tall, bronze-skinned, extremely handsome and fit, and friendly. A lot of women would describe him as the perfect man, but he's in a bit of an emotional bind. He is, and has always been, in love with Raven McCullic, but because Raven kept rejecting him he somehow ended up marrying Love McCullic and even going as far as to become the father of three kids. True, Love loves Derrick deeply and Derrick loves her back, but Derrick's never been able to get over his feelings for Raven. Oh flippin' well.

Sanctum of Corruption
- Gym Type: Poison
- Leader's Name: Poltena Schliferger
- Leader Class: Slayer [Uses a variety of burst rifles, sniper rifles, revolvers and submachine guns, all loaded with chemical rounds.]
- Leader Specialty: Sniper
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Arbok / Leader Seviper / Garbodor / Victreebel / Skuntank / Tentacruel
- Name of Badge: Ouroboros Badge
- Gym Location: Recycled City
- Gym Challenge: A multi-tier arena that starts with two paths and ends up with three. Moving along the edges of the arena around the vast toxic lake will result in encountering large levers, rivers of poisonous sludge that pour from gates that can be opened or closed by said levers, and large but bouyant blocks that, when pushed into these rivers, will fall into the lake and eventually form a bridge that leads straight to the gym leader. It should be noted that the levers are typically guarded by defending trainers. Also, there's a time trial involved, and the size of your reward is determined by how long it took you to make the block bridge. The timer stops temporarily when engaging a defending trainer and permanently when the block bridge is complete. Be warned that any attempt at using flying or hovering Pokemon to 'get around' the puzzle will result in you being fired upon by Poltena's rifle. Ouch.
- Leader Backstory: Poltena is a statuesque white-haired black woman who served in the Republican Front and the PrideGuard for both Successionary Wars. She was a chemical warfare specialist and the Pokemon she uses in battle have served with her as well, making them a very compatible team. She is particularly fond of her male Arbok and female Seviper pairing, and has occasionally been seen wearing nothing but them as clothes. She has often been asked to starr in movies, but has refused so that she would continue having lots of time to devote to her hobbies, which is improving on the risky nature of her gym and showering love upon her Pokemon.

Test of the Heart
- Gym Type: Steel
- Leader's Name: Kaoruko Akeshiro
- Leader Class: Rider (Uses her daikatana in addition to a yumi longbow)
- Leader Specialty: Shock Trooper
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Klefki / Leader Aegislash / Aggron / Magnezone / Probopass / Steelix
- Name of Badge: Honor Badge
- Gym Location: Kazetsubaki City
- Gym Challenge: Strangely enough, challenging this gym and its leader involves starring in kabuki theatre. The actors and actresses will give you visual cues as to what you must do and if you mess it up, prepare to face a defending trainer. Obviously, the reward is larger when you perform perfectly. At the end of the play, regardless of how well you perform, it will only be you and Kaoruko. Hopefully you don't screw this part up.
- Leader Backstory: Kaoruko is a young woman from a traditional family who accepts the foreign power because they respect Hiroshiho tradition. She doesn't just perform kabuki theatre whenever a challenger arrives at her gym and she doesn't always just perform kabuki theatre, but rather all kinds of entertaining and dramatic traditional japanese plays go on in her gym for all the world to see if they wish. She has been on television a lot, so even people who do not normally challenge Honmyr's gyms or care about Pokemon at all know of her as a popular Hiroshiho actress as well as a beautiful and single lady with a lot of money.

Imperious Estate
- Gym Type: Normal
- Leader's Name: Elshie Faulkner
- Leader Class: None. Before becoming an Arsenal, Elshie didn't fight. She was quick and flexible and really good with her hands, but used those talents for other purposes.
- Leader Specialty: Scout [Her active and indecent nature has given her a near-encyclopedic wealth of knowledge on human and Pokemon anatomy.]
- Leader's Pokemon: Leader Lickilicky / Leader Wigglytuff / Noctowl / Pyroar / Miltank / Heliolisk
- Name of Badge: Underdog Badge [Given that name because not too many people in Honmyr respect the Normal type, even though Elshie's Pokemon are surprisingly tough.]
- Gym Location: Southern Fainas Metropolis [No longer exists. It has been torn down and now Sanguine Manor rests in its place.]
- Gym Challenge: The gym challenge changes constantly and in many ways. Sometimes the gym challenge doesn't even take place inside the gym. Ultimately, Elshie will greet you at the door, assess your 'assets', and decide just how she wishes you to earn the Underdog Badge. This can involve everything from visiting a love hotel to being her designated driver to basketball or an all-u-can-eat buffet or even some kind of odd role-playing, particularly in a dungeon below Imperious Estate. Under normal circumstances, you challenge the gym by entering the estate and being introduced to Elshie and all of her butlers and maids. You pick the ones you like and 'earn' their services by defeating them in Pokemon battles. Obviously, you will have to battle Elshie as well to earn the badge... and also her services on top of those you've defeated. Regardless, rumors of explicit acts and indecent challenges spread fast and eventually Elshie got the boot.
- Leader Backstory: One cannot exactly determine if Elshie is the biggest pervert or if Elizabeth still holds that tainted crown. Let's not go into all the fetishes Elshie has partaken of and simply focus on what happened after she lost her license to be a gym leader. She never really had a home to return to after that, but she certainly wasn't broke, able to stay in decent apartments for up to a week at a time while she earned money on the side doing what she did best. Then she just sort of... vanished from the face of the world. And the next time anyone has seen her, she's become a cold-blooded brainwashed super soldier.

[Menarker]

Interesting stuff...

Any chance we can get a description of what Elshie's gym was like? Like the type it specialized in and the gym layout (which I imagined had a private recreation room) before she got arrested? As I have mentioned at one point, I thought her gym was going to be flying since she shared the last name of a certain flying type leader of Gen 2, but that seems to be shot down by the fact that the Sunken Commonwealth Gym is flying type.

It's funny how the same gym was used to similar ends. The former used it for illict sexual activities and the latter used it more officially but it was still based on love (The emotion, not the name!) with the Matrimony theme.

[Astral Harmony]

Done. Also replaced Toxicroak in Derrick's Pokemon arsenal 'cause i r derp.

[Menarker]

Thanks. =3

I'd imagine that trainers in the Matrimony gyms probably fight in double-battles as opposed to single battles. (Although given how Love's husband owns his own gym and isn't around to do double battle with his wife, that'd be kinda ironic/tragic for her to be the only one in that gym who'd have to single-battle. Then again, the whole affair kinda is.)

And I find it "unfair" that after you said before about pokemonk combat style is an aggressive killing art (that requires Renny to get an attitude adjustment if he wanted to go that path), we have a gym leader, Isabelle, who is kind-hearted and help uses her strength to give massages and back rubs when she's not breaking blocks of ice harder than steel. =P She seems a little familiar to another certain young female fighting type martial art gym leader in pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum...


And now that I read back a few earlier posts, I have an unrelated question... Since Ash is in this RP (under the name of Red when he's in the Fear Vanguard), is he still perpetually stuck as a 10 year old?

[Aldurin]

The fairy gym leader as a psuedo-hyphenated name. Clearly she's nuts. Fortunately not nuts enough to not know that destroying and rebuilding the gym was the only way to get the stains out (assuming Elshie was the gym leader I wish you guys never mentioned).

Actually, read the rest of the entries and confirmed that Elshie is that gym leader.

[Astral Harmony]

Ray post done. Renny post done tomorrow. Pierce's Haremon post done the day after. Now leave me to my suffering... and anime.

In the future, Geminex, it would help immensely if you can indicate which number is which and why it's there. Even after talking to you a few days ago, I'm still confused all to hell, ergh, Hungry World.

Edit: And now Renny's part is up. This battle will go on for one more turn after some modifications of the IgDef attack attribute. With the new statistical calculations, Impact's pretty much the MVP of the entire Watchmen unless someone is really successful with death skills. Don't worry, Gem, I'm not going to break IgDef. Just trying to figure out a happy medium here between making it a sound tactical option without being Dinner-level broken.

I'll create some PrepSkills for the enemies and throw in a new weather effect or two while also trying to figure out some Pokebrid Actions for Fairy, Ruin, Shadow, and Time. Heritage and Astral will likely not be getting their versions.

[Menarker]

Quick question/comment:

Renny's close observance didn't tell him much about what Sphinx tried to do. It was clear she was telling Togekiss a riddle, and Togekiss responded with a couple sayings of its own name. Apparently Togekiss got it right, although it wasn't necessary to begin with, thanks to Steadfast.

Togekiss has Serene Grace and Super Luck, not Steadfast (Think Renny has Steadfast). I don't expect you to actually change anything much though.

EDIT: Oh, nvm. Forgot about using my trainer action. It's been so long that the post was written.

[Astral Harmony]

Pokemon Astral: Ruinous Generations

Chapter 1 ~ A Day Like Almost Any Other

*An alarm clock rings and a young girl fights against sleepiness to pull herself out of bed and gently deactivate it.*
- Young Girl: "I wonder if mom's up? Otherwise, I'll have to fix my own breakfast."
*She does some quick stretching exercises to banish away the rest of her lethargy and opens her closet, searching for her favorite clothes. After dressing, Moesha checks her face, teeth and hair in her private bathroom and then begins to head downstairs and smells breakfast finishing.*
- Moesha: "Good morning! Hey, where's dad?"
- Lola: "It's our anniversary, Moe-Moe. I imagine he left early to get to New Fainas in order to find something nice for me."
- Moesha: (Impish grin) "Along with something special that he'd like you to wear for him tonight?"
- Lola: "...You need to stop hanging out with Harliette and Catherine so much. I swear they're wrecking your mind. Anyways, please have some breakfast. I forgot that Renny wasn't here and was already cooking so I made way too much."
- Moesha: "Airheaded as usual. Don't mind if I do."
*Moesha sits down and begins eating. It's a delicious western-style breakfast of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and various other items. But Lola can make even basic food taste like fine dining. As Moesha gets more than her fill, there's a knock at the door.*
- Moesha: "I got it."
*Moesha checks through the peephole in the door and then opens it with a smile.*
- Moesha: "Geez, Baath. Clingy much?"
- Baath: "Don't get the wrong idea, Moesha."
- Lola: "Is that Baath? This is starting to seem like a second home for you. Do you want some breakfast? As usual, I made far too much."
- Baath: "I don't think I could ever turn down your cooking, Lolianne."
- Lola: "How are Matthias and Alice?"
- Baath: "Really, really weird."
- Moesha: "Big surprise there."
- Lola: "Be nice, Moesha."
- Baath: "Would you like to leave soon, Moesha?"
- Moesha: "...Yeah, might as well. I'd like to get to New Fainas before the more dangerous Pokemon start waking up."
- Lola: "That's a good idea. Do you want to take some food or items or anything before you go?"
*Moesha stands up from the dining table and hugs Lola.*
- Moesha: "Relax, mom, I've got everything I need."
- Lola: "Alright, but come back if you think it's going to be too rough to travel today. Take care, sweetie. Don't let her ego make her do anything dumb, Baath."
- Baath: "Why do you think I came here so early?"
- Moesha: "Whatever. You're all jerks."

*Moesha and Baath start walking down the safer main street that leads to New Fainas. The journey would take about two hours on foot, but it's nothing that these hardened teenagers can't handle.*
- Moesha: "I've been watching the news a lot lately. What's up with this Decrier group?"
- Baath: "Just a bunch of idiots complaining about how the government's good work isn't good enough. I for one think the government's doing a lot better than what could be expected from them, considering how much the war changed everything."
- Moesha: "Some people just can't be satisfied and understand how lucky we actually are. All of this could've been smoldering wasteland piled with ashen corpses if it wasn't for what Megumi and Ray did for us."
*Up ahead, a substantial bush rustles violently. Baath steps forward to place himself between the bush and Moesha.*
- Moesha: "Baath, if I couldn't take care of myself, I wouldn't ever leave the house, now would I?"
- Baath: "I'll answer that after we know what the hell it is."
*Just then, a long javelin-like bolt rockets out of the bush. Moesha leaps forward and strikes down the javelin with one swing of her metal striking pole.*
- Moesha: "Careful, Baath! It's a Spinalista."
- Baath: "Above ground? Let's just hope it's by itself."
*Moesha and Baath engage the Spinalista in battle. Moesha, unlike her parents, wasn't a Pokebrid, and instead focused on training both as a Slayer and a Pokemonk, utilizing a metal striking pole. Baath, however, was a Pokebrid, after having been inspired by his father's exploits, and was utilizing a Dullihon's form. Against the two young powerhouses, a single Spinalista wasn't much of a challenge, especially since it no longer had the element of surprise.*
- Moesha: "I see you don't skimp on your daily training, huh?"
- Baath: "Yeah, well. I'd like to be able to do what my parents were capable of back then."
- Moesha: "I hear that. Sometimes, the stories of what my parents were capable of are all I think about."
*The two continue down the road, wary of further blind spots near their path.*
- Baath: "You seem to be thinking pretty hard about something, Moesha. What's up?"
- Moesha: "Nothing. Just feeling a bit melancholy myself these days after remembering many of the things my mom and dad have been through."
- Baath: "Let's just hope Professor Ricewood has a grand adventure waiting for us when we get to Neo Fainas."
- Moesha: "Hey, now. Don't make me have expectations."
*After many more battles against inferior odds, the two young badasses arrive in New Fainas. Despite Ray's best efforts as Honmyr's great leader during the Third Successionary War, Fainas Metropolis was spared no end of troubles. Some buildings were so badly damaged that the city workforce was simply bulldozing many structures over, clearing away all the rubble, and rebuilding something even better in its wake. New Fainas was an odd place with new modern buildings mixed with repurposed old buildings and still quite a few war-wrecked ruins. Still, without Ray and Megumi, it could have been worse. So, so much worse...*
- Moesha: "There sure are a lot of ScarCom units everywhere. Are they on every street corner?"
- Baath: "I think it has something to do with the massive demonstration by the Decriers just yesterday. The way I heard it, when the Police Force intervened and tried to break it up, one of the more overzealous Decriers deployed his Pokemon and attacked the Police Force. I believe over a dozen people ended up dead and dozens more were injured in the subsequent riots."
- Moesha: "Then it's no wonder ScarCom's been deployed, huh."
*Baath and Moesha continued on their way to Ricewood Masterworks.*

*Finally, the two youths arrived at Ricewood Masterworks.*
- Baath: "Hey, Vic. Is that you?"
- Victoria: "Baath, I see you've arrived safely. And this is Moesha Tresserhorn, correct? My name is Victoria Green. It's nice to meet you."
- Moesha: "Ha ha ha, you sound a lot like Baath. Anyways, yeah, that's me. So, your last is Green, huh? I think Baath told me about you. About you being Ray Green's daughter, I mean. I'm still reeling from the fact that Ray was able to breed."
*Baath and Victoria blinked.*
- Moesha: "I-I-I'm so sorry, I totally didn't mean it like that! It's just that all the things I've heard about your dad are... sorta... y'know."
- Victoria (Amused sigh) "I'm sure I've heard a lot worse than you have. Anyways, congratulations on this one, Baath. She's beautiful."
- Baath: "Moesha and I aren't dating."
- Moesha: "That's true, but I wouldn't exactly say 'no' if you bothered to ask, Baath."
- Baath: "Perhaps some other time. Do you know if the professor's in?"
- Victoria: "I'm waiting for Tsubaki to find that out for me, actually."
- Moesha: "Oh, she's here, too? That can't be a coincidence, can it? Just how many people is the professor requesting?"
- Tsubaki: "You mean you don't want me here?"
- Moesha: "You have really sharp ears as usual, Tsubaki. Anyways, that's not what I meant at all. It's so good to see you again."
*Moesha nearly jumps on Tsubaki.*
- Tsubaki: "Geez, Moesha, we're not little kids anymore. Show some discretion."
- Moesha: "Oh right. How're your mothers?"
- Tsubaki: "Everybody says it like that, huh? My two mothers are just fine. A little too lovey-dovey for me to handle, but all is well."
- Moesha: "I know your pain."
- Baath: (To Victoria) "So are you still searching for your father's murderer?"
- Tsubaki: "That was a suddenly dark change of tone, don't you think?"
- Victoria: "It's fine, Tsubaki. In the beginning, I was searching for her. At least, the Police Force believes it to have been a woman. But then I recieved a communication from Megumi. She says she's making every effort to handle that and so I can put all my energy in handling the other big mystery in my life."
- Moesha: "Other mystery?"
- Victoria: "Yes, for there are two. One is to find out who killed my father and then maybe or maybe not exact revenge though I guess I can count on Megumi to handle that for me as well. And the other is to... well, find out just who the hell my mother is."
- Moesha: "Buh?"
- Baath: "Were there seriously no clues at the president's manor?"
- Victoria: "It can easily be years before that Arnold P. Howard guy is done sorting through all that damn paperwork that Ray and his government left behind. I'd be better off just getting a blood sample drawn but I'm sure how I feel about others knowing who she is before I do."
- Moesha: "Why's that?"
- Victoria: "Privacy matters, of course. Also, it could be a big deal."
- Moesha: "Ah. That sounds reasonable enough."
- Victoria: "Tsubaki, did you find out if the professor is in?"
- Tsubaki: "She isn't, but Darcelle is running the counter and I think she said Professor Faynoc was here."
- Moesha: "Darcy's here? I'm gonna go say 'hello'."
- Baath: "Don't trip."
- Moesha: "Piss off, you."

*Moesha walks up to the front desk and meets Darcelle at the window.*
- Moesha: "Hey, Darcy. Where's Professor Ricewood?"
- Darcelle: "Goooooooood mooooooooorning, Moe-Moe! Darcelle's doing great! Oh, but you didn't ask that, did you? Big Sis Myrie is attending a scientific conference."
- Moesha: "Again? She has one, like, every two weeks now, doesn't she? Just what the hell gives?"
- Darcelle: "It's the same thing every time, Moe-Moe. Those Decrier people keep demanding that the government use Heritage technology to magically fix everything for them again."
- Moesha: "Huh... and is that possible?"
- Darcelle: "Probably, but not immediately. Do you remember Project Arsenal?"
- Moesha: "A massive project that involved researching Heritage technology for military purposes, right? It's all over the Internet."
- Darcelle: "Although we have learned so much about weaponizing Heritage technology through Project Arsenal, we've only just scratched the surface about utilizing HeraTech for anything else. And weapons aren't going to help the downtrodden people of Honmyr. It can only be used to keep them safe, not fill their bellies and vaccinate their children. But they simply refuse to understand these simple truths."
- Moesha: "I hope they can understand that and learn some patience one day. ...Oh! Is Labby here?!"
- Darcelle: "Well, it will take Professor Faynoc a little longer to spare some time for you, so go right ahead. The code is 1-4-4-1."
- Moesha: "Thank you! Pass me a message when the professor's ready!"
*Moesha hurries into the elevator.*
- Victoria: "She sure seems excited. What's up?"
- Baath: "...Ah. I guess her favorite pet is here. I wonder if she brought a swimsuit?"
- Victoria: "Huh?"

*Moesha activated the code input function in the elevator and tapped the code that allowed her to access the training sub-basement facility. She couldn't help but smile. It's been nearly three months since she last played with her inhuman friend. The elevator comes to a halt and Moesha exits to find that her friend was definitely there, in the massive pool.*
- Moesha: "Labby, I'm here! It's me! Moe-Moe! Come give me a big hug!"
*A large ripple formed in the center of the pool as something gigantic pushed huge amounts of water out of its way. The giant semi-transparent creature known as Lathiron Theta bursts up from the surface, lurches forward, and draggs its gigantic, soft tongue up Moesha's left arm and cheek as she tries fruitlessly to defend herself.*
- Moesha: (Laughing) "Stop it, Labby! I missed you a lot, too, you silly bastard."
*Try as she might, it was difficult to get her friend under control when they had been separated for so long.*
*It had been nearly thirty minutes before Darcelle called down into the basement through the intercomm system, requesting that Moesha return to the first floor. When the elevator reached the floor, Baath, Victoria and Tsubaki entered so that the elevator can just go up to the top research floors.*
- Tsubaki: "Let me guess. You decided to strip naked and play with Labby in the pool but forgot to have a towel handy."
- Moesha: "I couldn't help it. I really missed him so much."
- Baath: "I think they have towels available down there now."
- Moesha: "Where were they? I couldn't find them."
- Baath: "Did you actually try looking?"
- Moesha: "...Whatever, you're a jerk."
- Baath: "Well that's not very nice."

*The elevator reached its destination and the four young heroes found Professor Faynoc, fast asleep hunched over a desk.*
- Baath: "She was probably half asleep when she told Darcelle to go ahead and send us up."
- Tsubaki: "Should we wake her?"
- Victoria: "Yes. I don't want to stay here if she's just going to be like this for a while."
- Moesha: "I got it. Leave it to Moesha."
*Moesha walks up to the deck and bends over it, stroking Professor Faynoc's cheek with her own.*
- Moesha: "Nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle nuzzle..."
- Victoria: "Is... is that supposed to work?"
- Moera: "Alright, alright, I'm up, Moesha. And why is your hair so wet?"
- Baath: "Apparently so."

*Moera staggered up from her chair, grabbed one of the files that was on her desk, and handed it to Victoria while she hastily explained the reason that she had gathered the four of them.*
- Moesha: "All of the Heritage Sites?"
- Moera: "Sometime after the conclusion of the Third Successionary War, authority regarding researching the Heritage Sites had began to transfer from the government over to the poketologist community. We still need to present all of our findings to the government and Police Force while making certain that we never again cross the lines of morality and decency, but we now have the full right to investigate every last Heritage Site in all of Honmyr, both above ground and below it, both dropped here by the Knomere and those that mankind themselves created, both-"
- Victoria: "Yes, but why us? I'm trying to figure out who the hell my mother is, not following up on some idea that Heritage Sites can also be accredited for the creation of all Pokemon."
- Moera: "Hey, don't think me a careless bitch. That's only how I was before the Third Successionary War. I can almost guarantee that entering these Heritage Sites and seeking out the truth can be benefitial to each of you as well. Moesha seeks understanding of the same power that her parents wielded before the Rezonscape was destroyed. Victoria is trying to find out just who her mother is. Baath would surely love to learn things about how Pokemon were created, and Tsubaki... well, I'm sure there'll be something in one of those sites that can open some doors of opportunity for her."
- Tsubaki: "Plus, I don't like the idea of my best friend going into places like that without me there to back her up."
- Moesha: "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad we'll be hanging out a lot more from now on, Tsubaki."
*Tsubaki blushes and gently scratches her cheek.*
- Tsubaki: "Yes. Of course."
- Victoria: "According to these files, we won't be doing this alone, anyways. Seems like there're researchers and detectives conducting investigations all over every single site. Are you really sure we won't be in the way?"
- Moera: "Eh, I'm sure it's alright as long as you don't cause an international incident or something."
- Baath: "Forbo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ode..."
- Moera: "When you get to those sights, please speak with their respective Science Chiefs and Investigation Leaders, alright? That should smooth things over and help you get your bearings. Oh, and there's one more thing before you depart, but this one isn't such a big deal..."

*A little later, the three young ladies and one young gentleman exit the giant building.*
- Victoria: "Should we really accept this assignment?"
- Moesha: "If we're not going to do it, then why did we take that document with us?"
- Tsubaki: "Not to mention these Pokemon."
*Moesha, Baath and Tsubaki produce three very pretty Pokeballs so that all four adventurers may look upon them.*
- Victoria: "Test out the mechanics of Astral Harmony? How? My father couldn't even figure out how it made any sense."
- Moesha: "It's a strange Pokemon to be sure. It comes in three balls that have to be held and deployed by three different people."
- Tsubaki: "If two of the trainers have a strong bond with each other, the Pokemon merge into composite forms with different types, abilities and moves."
- Baath: "And creating the true Astral Harmony is possible only when the three trainers possess these strong bonds. What, like a perfect love triangle or something?"
- Victoria: "Professor Moera believed that these strong bonds were proven by the existence of Union Techniques between two or three people, but that didn't exactly work because having one of those doesn't imply a special or even close relationship. Besides, Union Techniques no longer exist with the Rezonscape gone. Anyways, you three are probably the best we'll ever get to three people who have strong bonds with each other. Maybe that's why Moera is having us figure this out."
- Baath: "That won't be immediately possible, though. I only just met Tsubaki today."
- Tsubaki: "I'm sure we'll become great friends soon, Baath."
- Moesha: "Oh, wait, we forgot something. Victoria, did they take your blood sample?"
- Victoria: "Nein. I'm not holding out much hope, but if it's possible that I can discreetly learn who my mother is through checking out these Heritage Sites, that might be for the best. If it doesn't work out, then I'll just use the scientific method later."
- Moesha: "I guess that's everything, then. Shall we get started?

Moesha Tresserhorn, the cheerful and promising young Pokemonk who seeks to become as legendarily powerful as her loving parents. If the Heritage Site could potentially let her control immeasureable power like her parents, then she couldn't possibly deny this opportunity.

Baath Sona, a confident and somewhat aloof man who has a fanatical but healthy interest in Pokebrid tactics and statistical data. Anything he could learn about Pokemon could only further his understanding and knowledge on the art of Pokemon battling.

Tsubaki Hirasaka, a half-demon samurai warrioress just trying to make friends while coming to terms with her own unique body and powers. She is content with herself, but there is always that niggling concern that maybe she could be happier with a different perspective and approach to relationships. Maybe this journey will help her grow as a person?

And Victoria Green, a courageous yet humourless woman trying to discover the truth of her origins and how she should design her own future. She searches for knowledge about two mysterious women, one that murdered her father and one that is her mother. Hopefully they are not one in the same, but if there's even a remote chance that the Heritage Sites hold clues for her to unravel, then her mind will harbor no further doubt.

They were given a mission to unearth an ancient mystery from before mankind even existed. What is the true origin of Pokemon? What is man's responsibility as those who live in this world with Pokemon? And how can learning any of this actually benefit the world? These four brave souls and many more will join forces and battle a grave new threat in Pokemon Astral: Ruinous Generations.

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Astral Harmony presents...

The Misadventures of Sweet Pierce & Hella Impact Randy Rendy

Chapter II ~ The Call To Kalos

(A privately chartered small plane touches down in a rural airlane just outside of Santalune City in the Kalos Region. Four young individuals, two men and two women, exit the plane and have a look around.)
- Renny: "Is everyone feeling good to go? That was a long flight. I hope we'll get back in time to be available for the Corpsemire Mission."
- Raven: "Dark Pokemon Gym Leader Raven McCullic is ready for battle."
- Pierce: "How'd you get this mission, anyways?"
- Raven: "I'm still registered with the Vorpal Frenzy mercenary guild. They had it available and apparently I'm the only one Guildmaster Raine could ask to take up a job in a different region."
- Renny: "It doesn't happen often, huh?"
- Raven: "People in other regions typically hire more localized muscle or hope to hell that some random yet extremely capable Pokemon Trainer stumbles across handling the problem."
- Renny: "That would never work in Honmyr. Anyways, how are you holding up, Calisto?"
- Calisto: "I'm ready to make heads disappear at 2400 meters."
- Renny: "Let's uhh...hope it doesn't come to that. Anyways, since we're ready, let's go meet this contact. She's supposed to be here in Santalune. I'm hoping she didn't wait too long for us."

(The attack squad of four arrived at the Pokemon Center.)
- Badass Woman: "I waited too long for you."
- Renny: "It would've taken longer if I used my Pokemon."
- Badass Woman's Right Hand Woman: "No worries. Odin just considers her time more valuable than anyone else."
- Odin: "I'm sure Irene trumps me in that category, Sunshine."
- Renny: "Well, it's nice to meet you two regardless. My name is Renny Tresserhorn, of PATCA."
- Pierce: "Pierce Granger. Same."
- Calisto: "Calisto Bellmond. I'm a PATCA sniper specialist."
- Raven: "Raven McCullic. I'm the Dark gym leader from Honmyr, but I was hired for this operation by the Vorpal Frenzy. Charmed, I'm sure."
- Odin: "Those're all respectable careers. Well met. I am Odin Oak, Chief of the Purging Party which answers to the Police Force in Honmyr."
- Sunshine: "And I am Sunshine Moses, her assistant in all Purging Party affairs."
- Renny: "Purging Party? That doesn't sound very happy."
- Odin: "If you think the name is bad enough, then don't ask me what we do. We have enough enemies."
- Calisto: "Do you think you could tell us about this mission while we eat? I skipped dining on the airplane for reasons I myself cannot ascertain."
- Odin: "Sure. We should fill up. And besides, I think we'll have some trouble heading north."
- Renny: "Trouble?"
- Odin: "We'll discuss it shortly. Follow us."

(Now six members strong, our heroes settle into town for a light lunch.)
- Sunshine: "You've only been here half an hour and you're already so popular, Renny."
- Renny: "Sometimes it's a curse, Sunshine."
- Pierce: "It might also have to do with the fact that he's a Pokebrid. He's probably the only one in all of Kalos."
- Renny: "I guess there is that, yeah."
- Odin: "How much do you know about this operation?"
- Pierce: "Something about Mega Evolution Stones and the local Legendary Pokemon. From what we know, the Purging Party, you two ladies, are concerned about the stones. And Poketologists want to know why the Legendary Pokemon here in Kalos are still here in Kalos."
- Odin: "Then you're well informed, but let me go ahead and explain it so you understand completely."
(Odin saturates her throat by emptying a full glass of mineral water.)
- Odin: "The Purging Party has been encountering Pokemon that we have never encountered before. We recognize them, sure enough, and the Inquiry Visors have them on file, but their appearances are different and their statistics are considerably higher than even the most gifted Pokemon of their kind. When news of Mega Evolution came to Honmyr from Kalos, I couldn't volunteer fast enough to get over here and figure it out. All I want to know is about how it all works."
- Pierce: "And the Legendaries?"
- Odin: "You know what the Convergence Event is, right?"
- Calisto: "Yep. Honmyr's Pokemon populace has grown like mad in the past couple of decades. And every Legendary Pokemon is there now. Well, almost every one of them."
(Odin sets a miniature holographic projector on the table which displays...two really snazzy characters that none of the newcomers recognize.)
- Odin: "They call themselves Team Flare. Something about ushering in a revolution of beauty or some stupid shit like that. It's highly suspected that these fools in the red raiments probably have the target Pokemon imprisoned somewhere."
- Renny: "So we bust them out and take them with us, right? Understood."
- Odin: "Correction. We simply release them and make it so that Team Flare can no longer capture them. The Poketologists feel certain that these Pokemon will come to Honmyr of their own accord and would rather not force the issue, lest it get us in trouble with the government of Kalos."
- Calisto: "The government of Kalos is, no offense, a complete joke. If we do steal their Pokemon for Honmyr, the best they can do is shake their feeble fists at us."
(Odin smiles.)
- Odin: "I couldn't agree more, but it's best to depart Kalos on good terms."
- Pierce: "So where do we start?"
- Odin: "We want to go north, to Lumiose City. But there's a problem with that. A slight problem, but a problem nonetheless."
- Renny: "We'll be happy to help, Odin. What shall we do?"
- Odin: "There's a Pokemon gym here in Santalune. A bug-type gym. The sister of the gym leader is blocking the exit from Santalune and insists that she'll only allow us to pass when and only when we have the Bug Badge. I suggested the possibility that I could powderize the bones in her neck with one hand, but she didn't take me seriously and I don't actually want to make murder my method of solving problems. Not right yet, anyways. Unfortunately, neither Sunshine nor I have Pokemon and I am not going through the long fucking process of signing documents and shit just to get the right to start training in Kalos."
- Raven: "Leave that up to us. Or rather, me. I'll handle this one. You five can relax here."
- Renny: "Can I come with you? I don't feel like sitting around."
- Raven: "No problem. Just don't slow me down."
- Pierce: "You two have fun. I'll just be here, expanding on my harem."
- Raven: "Expanding on his what now?"
- Renny: "Don't worry about it. Just know that if we come back and he's severely wounded, then true justice will have been done this day."

(Renny and Raven place themselves in front of the Pokemon gym. Inside, they happen across a guy who they assume is basically like a receptionist.)
- Man: "Young lady, we don't allow weapons inside the Pokemon gym."
- Raven: "You can have these weapons when you pry them from my cold, dead hands."
- Renny: "The rule is kinda silly, when you think about it. I mean, sure, Pokemon are living things with emotions and whatnot, but just about all of them have the power of kill someone if the trainer is irresponsible."
- Man: "Now wait just a-"
- Raven: "Listen, Fatty McFourchins. I understand that you, being the guy who sees a lotta children coming in here to earn these stupid badges, don't come across anyone who is a serious Pokemon trainer dedicated to the art."
- Renny: "Raven, don't you think you're being a little too-"
- Raven: "But the young lad here and I hail from Honmyr. Your gym leader wouldn't last one day in our hood. So kindly step off. I promise that I won't hurt anyone."
- Man: "Well, I never-"
- Raven: "Uh huh, and if you don't put down the double baconators, you never will."
(Without waiting for another retort, Raven sidesteps the man and slides down the rope that leads into the gym proper.)
- Man: "Young man, your girlfriend is really crude."
- Renny: "It's the cross I must bear..."

(Five minutes and three Pokemon battles later.)
- Raven: "How did any of these kids get to be defending trainers in a Pokemon gym? None of them look remotely serious about Pokemon training. I miss Honmyr already."
- Renny: "While I'm not one to put down any effort made by my opponents, I will admit that these trainers couldn't possibly stand up to veteran trainers from Honmyr."
(With those little annoyances out of the way, Renny and Raven walk up to meet the gym leader.)
- Viola: "Well, don't you two just look fantastic!"
- Raven: "I prefer to be thought of as 'cool', actually."
- Renny: "I'll take 'cute' as an option. It's what seems to get me motorboat'd the most."
- Viola: "I...see. Well, welcome to the Santalune City Pokemon Gym. I'm the gym's leader, Viola. Here at this Pokemon gym, we like to-"
- Raven: "I'm deploying my Pokemon. Zoroark, prepare for battle!"
- Viola: "Huh? Wait!"
- Raven: "I am Raven McCullic, Gym Leader of the Obsidian Dome dark type Pokemon Gym in Honmyr. Consider it an honor to be able to fight me at all, Viola. Now deploy your Pokemon or just hand over a badge already."
- Viola: "...Very well. I've always wondered just how powerful the gym leaders in Honmyr actually are. I will give my all to this battle."
(Despite giving it her all, there wasn't a whole lot that Viola's two level-forty bug Pokemon could do to Raven's Zoroark. It's clear that Raven's put far more attention into a single Pokemon than Viola had put into hers.)
- Raven: "That wasn't much of anything, but good job anyways, Zoroark. I'll see if I can cook up some of your favorite poffins tonight."
- Viola: "I've read all of the rumors and I knew that I didn't stand much of a chance to begin with, but to see the power of a gym leader from Honmyr firsthand..."
- Raven: "Honmyr is a land that demands the very best of anyone who sets foot upon it. For many, the best they can do isn't good enough to begin with. But that's what makes it so much more epic. A trainer who defeats you isn't going to be as proud or respect his Pokemon's strength nearly as much as a trainer who at least lasts a few rounds with me."
- Viola: "That's harsh, but you're right. Anyways, here, let me present you with this Bug Badge. At least try to wear it with some sense of accomplishment."
- Raven: "No promises."

(Back at the local dining establishment...)
- Odin: "You didn't take long."
- Raven: "I was in a bad mood. I hate wasting time on needless diversions."
- Renny: "So what should we do when we get to Lumiose City?"
- Odin: "There's going to be a Pokemon Professor there by the name of Sycamore. Kind of a foppish moron, by my understanding. But, he should know at least something about the Mega Evolution stones."
- Pierce: "How far is the city?"
- Odin: "If we leave now, we'll make it by nightfall. We can shack up somewhere and then go see this professor when we're better rested. I'm sure you could use a good rest after the flight."
(Our six heroes make their north out of Santalune City, but they don't leave unseen.)
- Young Male Trainer: "Are you alright? You seem a little distracted."
- Young Female Trainer: "Pay attention. Don't you see them?"
- Young Male Trainer: "Do you happen to mean that group of people? I can see what you mean. They look...dangerous."
- Young Female Trainer: "I'm going to the gym."
- Young Male Trainer: "Huh? Hey, what's the rush?"
- Young Female Trainer: "I can't immediately explain it very well, but...for some reason, I just don't wanna lose track of that group."

[Menarker]

- Raven: "People in other regions typically hire more localized muscle or hope to hell that some random yet extremely capable Pokemon Trainer stumbles across handling the problem."
- Renny: "That would never work in Honmyr. Anyways, how are you holding up, Calisto?"

Hehe, it's hypocritically ironic that statement being said when it could be argued that a lot of PATCA's agents were essentially a bunch of trainers/pokebrids who just happened to be at the right place and time to be hired. Renny in particular had only recently moved to Honmyr when he joined PACTA. It's either that or hiring a former convict or so. =3