Blaze Caverns

[Flyg0n]

Wes turned back to the voices. They didn’t sound hostile, so he figured he could attempt to play it cool unless—or until—he needed to go on the offensive. Standing straight and nodding to Neo, he stepped into the alcove. “Hello?”

“Oh, hey,” she sputtered. She regained herself by shaking her head. “I wasn’t expecting to find anybody here.” That was only a half-lie.

“I don’t mean to intrude, I just haven’t been to these parts since arriving, and I’m…really tired of the crowds.” That was the full truth. “Sorry if I scared you or anything.”

She gestured to herself. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Odette, and this is Enora.”

"Well, you know what they say. Three's a crowd." He smirked to himself at his own joke, and Salandit gave a soft churr as well, although he made no move to leave. "Name's Sigmin," he added. "And don't worry. Salandit can be a bit jumpy but who can blame him? This island's crazy."

Salandit gave a displeased hiss at that. His eyes flicked to Enora, then Neo. His eyes narrowed. "Hello," he said, his voice soft and raspy. He seemed somewhat apprehensive at the intrusion, his gaze constantly darting around.

 

[HelloYellow17]

“Looks like I’m not the only one,” Odette said under her breath.

Wes just barely managed to hold back a curse when he saw both Odette…and Enora. He briefly worried that Novo might shoot from the shadows to greet her, but thankfully, the Umbreon seemed to have enough self-control not to do that just yet. Wes let out a tiny huff of relief and glanced at Odette.

Of course. Of course it had to be her. Of all the people and of all the places on this damned island, he had to bump into her. Here. Where there was nobody else but him and…whoever this guy was.

Their fight from yesterday was still fresh and raw in Wes’ memory, his outburst being the most embarrassing of it all. He was too tired to come up with some sort of snarky retort, so he simply nodded to Odette and muttered, “Hi.”

"Well, you know what they say. Three's a crowd." He smirked to himself at his own joke, and Salandit gave a soft churr as well, although he made no move to leave. "Name's Sigmin," he added. "And don't worry. Salandit can be a bit jumpy but who can blame him? This island's crazy."

Well, this guy seemed awfully relaxed, considering the circumstances. Still, Wes didn’t want a repeat of what happened with Steven yesterday, and decided to be a lot more careful with his words this time. “Sorry to barge in. I guess we all had the same idea.” It was technically true, though only partially on his part.

He folded his arms and leaned against the cave wall. “Name’s Wes. Haven’t seen you around much, though I can now see why.” He gestured to their surroundings with a jerk of his head. “You’ve got the right idea, I think. What do you make of all the chaos lately?”

Salandit gave a displeased hiss at that. His eyes flicked to Enora, then to Novo. His eyes narrowed. "Hello," he said, his voice soft and raspy. He seemed somewhat apprehensive at the intrusion.

Neo blinked up at the ceiling. Hello! What is your name? It’s really cool you can stick to the ceiling. I’ve tried but I can’t do it. My Wes made me stop because I kept hitting my head.

 

[Flyg0n]

He folded his arms and leaned against the cave wall. “Name’s Wes. Haven’t seen you around much, though I can now see why.” He gestured to their surroundings with a jerk of his head. “You’ve got the right idea, I think. What do you make of all the chaos lately?”

Sigmin shrugged. "Not sure what to think anymore. Especially now that that Orzo dude is sick or poisoned or whatever. Looks like we're all gonna be stuck here a little longer." He barked out a humorless laugh. "Great for bonding and 'friendship' though, right?" he said, air quoting the word friendship.

"Anyways, it's kind of weird that the little hoop guy gets sick just before we could have all left this place, don't you think? Clearly someone someone doesn't want us to leave."

Salandit hissed again, digging his claws into the wall.

Neo blinked up at the ceiling. Hello! What is your name? It’s really cool you can stick to the ceiling. I’ve tried but I can’t do it. My Wes made me stop because I kept hitting my head.

"I go by many names. Death Incarnate, Shadowalker, Venombringer." His tongue flicked out and he seemed to be thinking. "You may call me Nox," he said with a nod.

"Perhaps you need to train harder to climb walls. I have seen Raichu float. Can you not float?" He did not see why Espeon couldn't float up a wall, or to the ceiling.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Sigmin shrugged. "Not sure what to think anymore. Especially now that that Orzo dude is sick or poisoned or whatever. Looks like we're all gonna be stuck here a little longer." He barked out a humorless laugh. "Great for bonding and 'friendship' though, right?" he said, air quoting the word friendship.

Wes had to snort at that. “Yeah. Some friendship festival, huh?” He glanced at Neo, who was, as expected, already chatting it up with the…other Pokémon. He’d never seen that one before. “Well, at least it looks like everyone here has a good relationship with their team. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen a mon like yours before. What kind are they?”

"Anyways, it's kind of weird that the little hoop guy gets sick just before we could have all left this place, don't you think? Clearly someone someone doesn't want us to leave."

“Glad I’m not the only one who found that a bit too convenient.” Wes scowled. “How do you figure they got poisoned, anyway? I don’t think I’ve even seen that Hoopa around anyone much, so how would they get sick? And the little key mon, too? Aren’t they a steel type and immune to poison?”

Granted, he didn’t know much about either species, but he had heard whispers about it after the announcement in the banquet hall, speculating how it could be possible for a Klefki—apparently that was the little mon’s species—to get poisoned in the first place.

He shook his head. “Lot of stuff doesn’t add up. I don’t suppose you have any theories or ideas?”

Wes used Mind Reader @Flyg0n

---

Novo, still hidden in the shadows, remained still as a statue, listening to both conversations with rapt attention. His brother and the lizard mon were closest, however, so he honed in on them.

Novo used Mind Reader!

"Perhaps you need to train harder to climb walls. I have seen Raichu float. Can you not float?" He did not see why Espeon couldn't float up a wall, or to the ceiling.

Neo pondered this for a moment. I have tried! But I cannot lift anything that is as heavy or heavier than myself. Not very high, anyway. He gave a defeated sigh, but perked up again almost immediately. I can practice! I am able to remove my Wes from the sofa when I want his spot. He does not like this, though. He gets very loud when I do that.

 

[Sinderella]

And don't worry. Salandit can be a bit jumpy but who can blame him? This island's crazy."

Salandit gave a displeased hiss at that. His eyes flicked to Enora, then Neo. His eyes narrowed. "Hello," he said, his voice soft and raspy. He seemed somewhat apprehensive at the intrusion, his gaze constantly darting around.

Odette nodded in agreement. “I’m not the jumpy type either, but this island has definitely done me in.”

She made a mental note of the Salandit’s wary demeanor, but nodded toward them in greeting.

He was too tired to come up with some sort of snarky retort, so he simply nodded to Odette and muttered, “Hi.”

“Hey,” she murmured back. She was impressed he’d even bothered to greet her, after what happened yesterday.

Not sure what to think anymore. Especially now that that Orzo dude is sick or poisoned or whatever. Looks like we're all gonna be stuck here a little longer." He barked out a humorless laugh. "Great for bonding and 'friendship' though, right?" he said, air quoting the word friendship.

"Anyways, it's kind of weird that the little hoop guy gets sick just before we could have all left this place, don't you think? Clearly someone someone doesn't want us to leave."

“You think it has something to do with us leaving or not?” she queried. “I guess if Orzo was the one that brought us all here…it does seem convenient. I’m certainly feeling bonded right now.”

Suddenly, a tumbleweed bat dipped into her line of sight. “̸Y̸E̴A̶H̸ ̸E̸V̷E̸N̵ ̴T̶H̴O̷U̵G̶H̵ ̴Y̵O̴U̸ ̸L̶E̴F̷T̸ ̸M̸E̷ ̶I̶N̵ ̶T̷H̷E̵ ̸L̶O̵U̴N̷G̸E̷,̷ ̴B̷I̷T̸C̷H̷ ̷A̵S̴S̵.̵”̸

Odette jolted. “Oh GODS,” she choked as she grabbed her chest and doubled over.

“̶Y̸e̴e̵e̷a̸a̴a̵a̶a̸h̴ ̷c̴h̷o̷k̴e̵ ̶o̴n̷ ̸i̵t̷.̶ ̶B̷e̵ ̵m̷i̸n̸u̶t̴e̴l̶y̶ ̷u̸n̶c̵o̷m̸f̴o̴r̷t̶a̴b̶l̴e̴ ̶f̷o̴r̷ ̴t̶h̶e̶ ̵n̴e̶x̶t̷ ̸t̴h̴i̴r̴t̷y̷ ̷s̶e̴c̸o̴n̶d̴s̶.̷”̸ Odile urged, fluttering up to land on Odette’s head.

“Right…” Odette breathed. “And this is Odile; the absolute bane of my existence.”

“̴S̴h̶e̵ ̵s̴a̴y̸s̸ ̸t̴h̴a̷t̶ ̸l̸o̷v̴i̸n̵g̸l̵y̷.̵”̴

How do you figure they got poisoned, anyway? I don’t think I’ve even seen that Hoopa around anyone much, so how would they get sick? And the little key mon, too? Aren’t they a steel type and immune to poison?”

As Odette took her time to regain herself, she zeroed in at the conversation at hand. Oh, so it seemed Wes was down to do some drilling too? Not the person she would have picked to do some interrogation, but the angry outbursts aside, he at least didn’t seem that much like a massive dumbass. And he appeared to be helping Sigmin open up more, while Neo shmoozed the Salandit. Maybe this would work out.

“Well,” she said cautiously. “I know Salandits are partial poison types, so I’d assume both of you might know a thing or two about how poison works. Because I certainly don’t,” she said. “So if you have any ideas, I’m all ears.”

 

[Flyg0n]

Wes had to snort at that. “Yeah. Some friendship festival, huh?” He glanced at Neo, who was, as expected, already chatting it up with the…other Pokémon. He’d never seen that one before. “Well, at least it looks like everyone here has a good relationship with their team. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen a mon like yours before. What kind are they?”

"Makes sense, a lot of folks from the big regions don't recognize Alolan pokemon. He's a Salandit. Only fire and poison type discovered so far."

Suddenly, a tumbleweed bat dipped into her line of sight. “̸Y̸E̴A̶H̸ ̸E̸V̷E̸N̵ ̴T̶H̴O̷U̵G̶H̵ ̴Y̵O̴U̸ ̸L̶E̴F̷T̸ ̸M̸E̷ ̶I̶N̵ ̶T̷H̷E̵ ̸L̶O̵U̴N̷G̸E̷,̷ ̴B̷I̷T̸C̷H̷ ̷A̵S̴S̵.̵”̸

Odette jolted. “Oh GODS,” she choked as she grabbed her chest and doubled over.

“̶Y̸e̴e̵e̷a̸a̴a̵a̶a̸h̴ ̷c̴h̷o̷k̴e̵ ̶o̴n̷ ̸i̵t̷.̶ ̶B̷e̵ ̵m̷i̸n̸u̶t̴e̴l̶y̶ ̷u̸n̶c̵o̷m̸f̴o̴r̷t̶a̴b̶l̴e̴ ̶f̷o̴r̷ ̴t̶h̶e̶ ̵n̴e̶x̶t̷ ̸t̴h̴i̴r̴t̷y̷ ̷s̶e̴c̸o̴n̶d̴s̶.̷”̸ Odile urged, fluttering up to land on Odette’s head.

“Right…” Odette breathed. “And this is Odile; the absolute bane of my existence.”

“̴S̴h̶e̵ ̵s̴a̴y̸s̸ ̸t̴h̴a̷t̶ ̸l̸o̷v̴i̸n̵g̸l̵y̷.̵”̴

At Odile's sudden appearance, Salandit tensed, growling. What kind of pokemon was that? He'd battled many pokemon while by Sigmin's side and he'd never seen that thing before. And it spoke something not quite like pokemon tongue...

"Solgaleo's mane, what the heck is that!?" he exclaimed, whipping around as Odile entered. If he hadn't know better he would have written it off as a kantonian form of something, but he knew that it wasn't any ordinary pokemon. It was speaking. Not in the way he'd seen some psychic pokemon speak either, but actually talking.

"Ah, I guess it's not the strangest thing I've seen though..." he relaxed, only slightly. He'd heard already about the talking pokemon and airplane sized Noivern. He supposed a weird stick-bat that spoke human wasn't the strangest. Maybe.

“Glad I’m not the only one who found that a bit too convenient.” Wes scowled. “How do you figure they got poisoned, anyway? I don’t think I’ve even seen that Hoopa around anyone much, so how would they get sick? And the little key mon, too? Aren’t they a steel type and immune to poison?”

Granted, he didn’t know much about either species, but he had heard whispers about it after the announcement in the banquet hall, speculating how it could be possible for a Klefki—apparently that was the little mon’s species—to get poisoned in the first place.

He shook his head. “Lot of stuff doesn’t add up. I don’t suppose you have any theories or ideas?”

Wes used Mind Reader @Flyg0n

With one eye on Odile, he continue. "Well, not sure but I do know that here, steel type only protects against poisons inflicted by a pokemons moves." As he spoke, his demeanor remained casual, but he seemed to be evaluating the two trainers carefully, sizing them up. "I've had some time to think though... I'll tell you my theory if you share on your own? Salandit and I might not be strong enough to fight whatever this thing is, but we've been trying to figure out whats going on anyway. Maybe you've heard something useful."

Sigmin seems honest! He hasn't lied about anything.

Novo, still hidden in the shadows, remained still as a statue, listening to both conversations with rapt attention. His brother and the lizard mon were closest, however, so he honed in on them.

Novo used Mind Reader!

Neo pondered this for a moment. I have tried! But I cannot lift anything that is as heavy or heavier than myself. Not very high, anyway. He gave a defeated sigh, but perked up again almost immediately. I can practice! I am able to remove my Wes from the sofa when I want his spot. He does not like this, though. He gets very loud when I do it.

"Perhaps he should not have sat on the sofa if he did not wish you to move him," Nox said. "But given time, it is possible to train a human, even if they are oblivious."

Nox is telling the truth!

 

[Sinderella]

Solgaleo's mane, what the heck is that!?" he exclaimed, whipping around as Odile entered. If he hadn't know better he would have written it off as a kantonian form of something, but he knew that it wasn't any ordinary pokemon. It was speaking. Not in the way he'd seen some psychic pokemon speak either, but actually talking.

“Yep, yeah, she’s weird, heard it all before,” Odette said as she reached up to swat Odile off her head. The bat just hovered up before landing happily back on Odette again. “I’ll spare you the details, but all you need to know is that she’s—“

“̷A̵ ̵L̶E̴G̴E̵N̶D̸A̴R̵Y̵,̶ ̷B̶I̵T̶C̴H̶.̵”̴

Enora simply looked unamused at this point. “You know this cave echoes, right?”

“̶A̸n̴d̵ ̴w̸h̴y̷ ̴w̵o̷u̷l̸d̷ ̵a̵ ̷g̷o̵d̴ ̷g̶i̵v̶e̶ ̴a̸ ̸s̴h̵i̵t̸ ̷a̷b̸o̷u̴t̸ ̶r̵e̸v̴e̷r̵b̴?̶ ̸H̸u̵h̴?̴ ̴T̴h̸a̸t̸’̴s̵ ̸w̷h̵a̴t̵ ̷I̵ ̴t̸h̴o̴u̷g̷h̴t̶.̸”̷

As he spoke, his demeanor remained casual, but he seemed to be evaluating the two trainers carefully, sizing them up. "I've had some time to think though... I'll tell you my theory if you share on your own? Salandit and I might not be strong enough to fight whatever this thing is, but we've been trying to figure out whats going on anyway. Maybe you've heard something useful."

Odette rolled her eyes, hoping to shrug off the conversation at hand. She returned her attention to Sigmin, taking notice of how he was sizing her and Wes up. Then he started talking. So, he wanted a quid pro quo, did he? She could oblige, but now she had to think. What would she be okay mentioning to somebody outside their group?

She shot a quick glance toward Wes, distantly hoping he’d catch her eye. They might have been at odds, but they were still technically on the same team here. Two Trousselin-er teams against an undesireable team should be doable here. But what was valuable enough to tell him without saying too much? Would it even be worth it?

Only one way to find out.

“Well,” she said cautiously, crossing her arms. “I’m fairly convinced whoever’s doing this is disguising themselves—or at least camouflaging themselves—with a berry based dye. I’ve found some grey…flakes at the most recent scenes, and they smell ridiculously fruity. And I’ve done enough theater work to know how dry paint looks and feels. Bet the shit’s chipping off when this asshole snatches us away.”

 

[HelloYellow17]

“̸Y̸E̴A̶H̸ ̸E̸V̷E̸N̵ ̴T̶H̴O̷U̵G̶H̵ ̴Y̵O̴U̸ ̸L̶E̴F̷T̸ ̸M̸E̷ ̶I̶N̵ ̶T̷H̷E̵ ̸L̶O̵U̴N̷G̸E̷,̷ ̴B̷I̷T̸C̷H̷ ̷A̵S̴S̵.̵”̸

Wes only just managed to keep his composure when the gods-damned demon bat made her entrance. He shifted is weight against the cave wall and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. Holy hell, he was never going to get used to that…creature. Pokémon. Whatever the hell she was.

"Solgaleo's mane, what the heck is that!?" he exclaimed, whipping around as Odile entered. If he hadn't know better he would have written it off as a kantonian form of something, but he knew that it wasn't any ordinary pokemon. It was speaking. Not in the way he'd seen some psychic pokemon speak either, but actually talking.

He snorted. “Yeah, that’s about how I reacted, too.” He decided to refrain from making any additional comments. He didn’t need the tiny ball of rage trainer and her cursed tumbleweed to hate him any more than they probably already did.

With one eye on Odile, he continue. "Well, not sure but I do know that here, steel type only protects against poisons inflicted by a pokemons moves." As he spoke, his demeanor remained casual, but he seemed to be evaluating the two trainers carefully, sizing them up. "I've had some time to think though... I'll tell you my theory if you share on your own? Salandit and I might not be strong enough to fight whatever this thing is, but we've been trying to figure out whats going on anyway. Maybe you've heard something useful."

Ha. What a classic evasive answer. Wes mulled over just how much he was willing to tell this guy. Surely not too much, but it had to be something to give him to chew on. He noticed Odette shooting him a sideways glance and responded with a tiny, almost imperceptible nod that Sigmin, who was still staring at Odile, would not catch.

“Well,” she said cautiously, crossing her arms. “I’m fairly convinced whoever’s doing this is disguising themselves—or at least camouflaging themselves—with a berry based dye. I’ve found some grey…flakes at the most recent scenes, and they smell ridiculously fruity. Bet the shit’s chipping off when this asshole snatches us away.”

…Huh. He hadn’t heard that the dye was connected to the strange smells. He’d have to ask her about that later. Maybe. If she would give him the time of day.

"Perhaps he should not have sat on the sofa if he did not wish you to move him," Nox said. "But given time, it is possible to train a human, even if they are oblivious."

Neo chattered in laughter. “I know! Wes is a good human. And a good trainer! Though I have been trying to train him for a long time to smile more. I miss his smiles.” His eyes brightened a little. “I think he is getting better though.” He swished his tail. “What sort of things do you train your human for?”

 

[Flyg0n]

“Well,” she said cautiously, crossing her arms. “I’m fairly convinced whoever’s doing this is disguising themselves—or at least camouflaging themselves—with a berry based dye. I’ve found some grey…flakes at the most recent scenes, and they smell ridiculously fruity. And I’ve done enough theater work to know how dry paint looks and feels. Bet the shit’s chipping off when this asshole snatches us away.”

Sigmin nodded slowly and glanced up, catching Nox's eye. "A disguise... that would make sense actually, if they needed to move around without drawing immediate suspicion. Gray huh..."

He glanced between them, then seemed to decide something. "Well, deals a deal. I'll tell you my theory now. Irene, that other girl who was taken? She's got one heck of a Roserade. See the thing about Roserade is, the nicer they smell, the more deadly their poison. And the scent coming from that Roserade was amazing. And aside from your's truly," he gestured to himself and Nox, "she has the only other poison type. So maybe her poison was somehow used on Orzo and Clink? It's weird that she vanished the same time they got sick."

Sigmin is showing no signs of deception!

Neo chattered in laughter. “I know! Wes is a good human. And a good trainer! Though I have been trying to train him for a long time to smile more. I miss his smiles.” His eyes brightened a little. “I think he is getting better though.” He swished his tail. “What sort of things do you train your human for?”

"That is very good. You seem good at training him, he is well-behaved." His tail twictched side to side as he watched Wes carefully before looking back at Neo. "My human is very smart. We work at a gym. At first I had to train him to give me the right foods. The good kind I like. And I helped train him to battle, he's very good now."

Nox is telling the truth!

 

[Sinderella]

"Well, deals a deal. I'll tell you my theory now. Irene, that other girl who was taken? She's got one heck of a Roserade. See the thing about Roserade is, the nicer they smell, the more deadly their poison. And the scent coming from that Roserade was amazing. And aside from your's truly," he gestured to himself and Nox, "she has the only other poison type. So maybe her poison was somehow used on Orzo and Clink? It's weird that she vanished the same time they got sick."

That felt like a pretty decent exchange. Odette had almost forgotten that Roserade were partial poison types, too. Suddenly, her disappearance didn't seem like that much of a coincidence.

"Deadly enough to poison a steel type, maybe," she murmured.

Was it possible this culprit had means to harvest moves or abilities from their victims? Or, even more so, if Orzo actually was the prime suspect, was it possible that Irene and Roserade fought back against being kidnapped and managed to do some damage in the process?

"Hm...would you happen to know how such a deadly poison could be cured? If at all?"

 

[Flyg0n]

View attachment 4233
That felt like a pretty decent exchange. Odette had almost forgotten that Roserade were partial poison types, too. Suddenly, her disappearance didn't seem like that much of a coincidence.

"Deadly enough to poison a steel type, maybe," she murmured.

Was it possible this culprit had means to harvest moves or abilities from their attackers? Or, even more so, if Orzo actually was the prime suspect, was it possible that Irene and Roserade fought back against being kidnapped and managed to do some damage in the process?

"Hm...would you happen to know how such a deadly poison could be cured? If at all?"

Sigmin hummed, then glanced at Nox. "What do you think?"

Nox chittered from his spot on the ceiling, then made a nonchalant gesture with a foreclaw.

"It depends," Sigmin said after a moment, turning back to Odette. "A skilled Roserade can create very deadly poisons. Most poison types have some degree of control over their poison, but Roserade are especially good. Although I hear the medicines in this world are especially good, so I figure they're still curable with time. And it would depend on how much the pokemon wanted to hurt their target... But I suspect it could be survivable, especially if its a mythical like Orzo, or even a pokemon like Clink."

 

[Sinderella]

"It depends," Sigmin said after a moment, turning back to Odette. "A skilled Roserade can create very deadly poisons. Most poison types have some degree of control over their poison, but Roserade are especially good. Although I hear the medicines in this world are especially good, so I figure they're still curable with time. And it would depend on how much the pokemon wanted to hurt their target... But I suspect it could be survivable, especially if its a mythical like Orzo, or even a pokemon like Clink."

Aside from enjoying this schooling on how Roserade worked, this was all proving extremely helpful. Much more than she anticipated, too. The medicine here was really good--enough to help her weird burn--so she would have to assume it would be useful in curing a really intense poisoning too. So the two of them weren't gonna die, just may be down and out for a while.

"This might be a really, really, really stupid question--because I sure as fuck don't know--would you happen to be aware of where Orzo and Clink even are? Conveniently out of sight and out of mind after two trainers go missing, and being our means back home? That's going to drive me absolutely crazy."

 

[HelloYellow17]

He glanced between them, then seemed to decide something. "Well, deals a deal. I'll tell you my theory now. Irene, that other girl who was taken? She's got one heck of a Roserade. See the thing about Roserade is, the nicer they smell, the more deadly their poison. And the scent coming from that Roserade was amazing. And aside from your's truly," he gestured to himself and Nox, "she has the only other poison type. So maybe her poison was somehow used on Orzo and Clink? It's weird that she vanished the same time they got sick."

Hm. That was an odd coincidence. Wes nodded. “I have to admit that I did wonder the same thing. The most likely way they could have been poisoned would be during a fight, I’d expect. Unless someone somehow poisoned their food or something, but I don’t know anything about how likely that is.”

He leaned his head back against the wall and studied the cavern ceiling for a moment as he mulled things over. “That’s definitely a theory worth investigating.” He looked back at Sigmin. “You wouldn’t happen to have any other theories, do you? Or maybe anything odd you’ve noticed? You seem like the observant type.”

"That is very good. You seem good at training him, he is well-behaved." His tail twictched side to side as he watched Wes carefully before looking back at Neo. "My human is very smart. We work at a gym. At first I had to train him to give me the right foods. The good kind I like. And I helped train him to battle, he's very good now."

A gym? Neo tilted his head to the side. “What is a gym?” He perked up at the mention of food and battling. “What sort of foods do you like? And what is your favorite way to battle?”

"This might be a really, really, really stupid question--because I sure as fuck don't know--would you happen to be aware of where Orzo and Clink even are? Conveniently out of sight and out of mind after two trainers go missing, and being our means back home? That's going to drive me absolutely crazy."

Wes nodded. “Sounds like it would be good to ask them some questions. I also can’t help but find it odd that both of them are sick…”

 

[Flyg0n]

"This might be a really, really, really stupid question--because I sure as fuck don't know--would you happen to be aware of where Orzo and Clink even are? Conveniently out of sight and out of mind after two trainers go missing, and being our means back home? That's going to drive me absolutely crazy."

"Last I heard, they're in Xander's private quarters recovering. I offered to see if I could help, since I'm pretty good with poisons. Said he'd let me know if he needed help, but that Nurse Joy said they should be fine. The guy seemed pretty out of it though. Not that I blame him, I'd be the same if anything happened to Salandit." He shrugged. "Didn't want to press him, but maybe you might have better luck than me."

Hm. That was an odd coincidence. Wes nodded. “I have to admit that I did wonder the same thing. The most likely way they could have been poisoned would be during a fight, I’d expect. Unless someone somehow poisoned their food or something, but I don’t know anything about how likely that is.”

He leaned his head back against the wall and studied the cavern ceiling for a moment as he mulled things over. “That’s definitely a theory worth investigating.” He looked back at Sigmin. “You wouldn’t happen to have any other theories, do you? Or maybe anything odd you’ve noticed? You seem like the observant type.”

Sigmin nodded. "That would mean..." he didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear. He tensed, and shared an uneasy look with Nox. "But then what about Clink... Unless..." he drummed his fingers on his thigh. "If what you're suggesting is true, then what if Clink was poisoned to keep them quiet?"

A gym? Neo tilted his head to the side. “What is a gym?” He perked up at the mention of food and battling. “What sort of foods do you like? And what is your favorite way to battle?”

Nox chittered in confusion. "Do you not have gyms? Gyms are places where those who wish to be strongest go to train! Young trainers come to the gym and we battle them. If they can beat us, they can fight the gym leader an earn a badge to prove that they won."

His eyes crinkled in delight at Neo's next question. "Pancakes. And sushi. But not together," he added. "Sigmin and I like to poison our opponents or burn them, then whittle down their strength until they can no longer move, then strike!" he snickered. "What about you?"

Wes nodded. “Sounds like it would be good to ask them some questions. I also can’t help but find it odd that both of them are sick…”

"Yeah, something definitely ain't right about that," Sigmin growled.

 

[Sinderella]

"Last I heard, they're in Xander's private quarters recovering. I offered to see if I could help, since I'm pretty good with poisons. Said he'd let me know if he needed help, but that Nurse Joy said they should be fine. The guy seemed pretty out of it though. Not that I blame him, I'd be the same if anything happened to Salandit." He shrugged. "Didn't want to press him, but maybe you might have better luck than me."

“His private quarters, huh?”

Odette suddenly started to wonder where that might be. She wondered if anybody outside their group would know that.

She cleared her throat at that last bit, though. Vaguely remembering how Wallace mentioned drilling the fuck out of him. She hid her sheepish thoughts well behind her neutral frown. “Yeah. Hopefully.”

Odette wouldn’t blame Xavian for being so out of it. She was a mess when her team got hurt. And surely people were PISSED at the way things were going here. Besides, she never got evil mastermind vibes from him—he seemed just as blindsided as everyone else was by the whole ordeal. If anything, the culprit might have been letting him take the fall for this while they lingered in the shadows.

Orzo could easily be stringing him along like nothing. She’d seen it happen before; it didn’t seem like a far out theory.

“But even so, why wouldn’t he jump at the extra help? I guess everyone’s different, but I’d take all the help I could get if my ‘mon were poisoned that badly.”

Maybe he really was just that out of it…

Sigmin nodded. "That would mean..." he didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear. He tensed, and shared an uneasy look with Nox. "But then what about Clink... Unless..." he drummed his fingers on his thigh. "If what you're suggesting is true, then what if Clink was poisoned to keep them quiet?"

“I mean…Clink has access to other dimensions, don’t they? Would it be particularly shocking if they found the missing trainers somehow and were, well, drugged into silence?”

"Yeah, something definitely ain't right about that," Sigmin growled.

She pursed her lips. “Or, simply put, Irene really let them have it. But either way, something reeks.”

 

[HelloYellow17]

Sigmin nodded. "That would mean..." he didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear. He tensed, and shared an uneasy look with Nox. "But then what about Clink... Unless..." he drummed his fingers on his thigh. "If what you're suggesting is true, then what if Clink was poisoned to keep them quiet?"

Wes grimaced. “That’s…definitely possible.” He’d thought that Clink was friends with the Hoopa, but maybe not…

“But even so, why wouldn’t he jump at the extra help? I guess everyone’s different, but I’d take all the help I could get if my ‘mon were poisoned that badly.”

“He’s probably worried. People disappearing left and right, and now his Pokémon are sick? I wouldn’t want just any stranger to get close, either. And it’s hard to know who to trust on this island…” he trailed off, lost in thought. “So the question is, how do we gain his trust so he’ll let us talk to them?”

Or maybe we can just break in somehow. Wes decided to keep that thought to himself, though. For the time being. Dammit, if Mitch were still around, maybe they’d be able to work together to find a way in…

“I mean…Clink has access to other dimensions, don’t they? Would it be particularly shocking if they found the missing trainers somehow and were, well, drugged into silence?”

Wes frowned again. “Wait…didn’t that Pokémon down at the beach—Manaphy, or whatever—say that they couldn’t detect any of the missing trainers on the island? Which means they probably are in some…weird dimension of some sort…”

Gods, he hated saying such a ridiculous theory out loud, but at this point, there was no use in pretending anything about this place was sane. Hell, even Orre made more sense than this place, and that was…well. That was sure saying something.

Nox chittered in confusion. "Do you not have gyms? Gyms are places where those who wish to be strongest go to train! Young trainers come to the gym and we battle them. If they can beat us, they can fight the gym leader an earn a badge to prove that they won."

Neo’s eyes grew wide, practically sparkling in awe. Cool. Cool! This Nox was so cool! He shifted his weight from one paw to the other, unable to sit still. “We do not have gyms! But we have Col…Col…Columns! When we go there, we get to battle lots! We are not able to go too much, though, because Wes says we cannot draw too much attention.” He wilted a little. “And sometimes the other trainers are mean and scary and will tell their Pokémon to hurt you. The kind of hurt that doesn’t go away for a long time.”

His eyes crinkled in delight at Neo's next question. "Pancakes. And sushi. But not together," he added. "Sigmin and I like to poison our opponents or burn them, then whittle down their strength until they can no longer move, then strike!" he snickered. "What about you?"

He brightened at the mention of pancakes. “I like those too! I do not know what this ‘sushi’ is. I will have to find it someday.”

"Pardon the mental intrusion, Novo. You should know that Wallace was attacked at the cove, along with Manaphy. Both are alive, but injured. Wallace and his milotic are resting in the infirmary. You may tell the others. Please... be careful. Victor is staying at the infirmary to guard the mightyena trainer and Wallace."

“Bri!”

Wes was halfway through formulating another thought to share when Novo’s bark rattled loudly in the little cavern, making all of them jump. Wes stiffened upon seeing the Umbreon leap from his hiding place and run up to him, rings flaring in alarm, chattering frantically.

He quickly crouched to Novo’s level. “Woah, woah, slow down, what’s—?”

“Spiiii?” Neo trotted over to his brother, ears angled back. Wes heard Sigmin and Odette sputter at the interruption, but he ignored them, focused on the exchange Neo and Novo were having. Then, after a moment, Neo looked at Wes and sent him a series of psychic signals.

“You—what?”

Novo keened and pressed into Wes’ coat. There was no denying it. He was afraid.

Wes turned slowly to face the others, who were all watching him with varying degrees of confusion and alarm. He tried and failed to keep his voice level. “Novo says he just got a message—long story—that someone else has been attacked. A blue-haired guy with a Milotic. Don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him around, I think he was on the boat with us.” Granted, it was hard to forget anyone who wore a latex…something or other with a beret. And a cape. But that didn’t matter right now.

“They’re in the infirmary…with another trainer and a Mightyena?” He looked to Odette with a frown. He couldn’t help but think it sounded like Mitch, but…no. There was no way.

 

[Sinderella]

Wes turned slowly to face the others, who were all watching him with varying degrees of confusion and alarm. He tried and failed to keep his voice level. “Novo says he just got a message—long story—that someone else has been attacked. A blue-haired guy with a Milotic. Don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him around, I think he was on the boat with us.” Granted, it was hard to forget anyone who wore a latex…something or other with a beret. And a cape. But that didn’t matter right now.

“They’re in the infirmary…with another trainer and a Mightyena?” He looked to Odette with a frown. He couldn’t help but think it sounded like Mitch, but…no. There was no way.

Odette’s brows furrowed. “You mean Wallace?”

He got attacked? In broad daylight? So now the culprit was getting ballsy? Was it payback for getting Mitch back?

Gods, she fucking hoped not…

“Oh no…” Enora cooed softly.

However, that last part did not phase her. If anything, it simply made her cringe. Well, the cat was partially out of the bag now. At least to Wes.

She turned to Sigmin. “He’s a friend of mine, so I should go see if he’s okay. You’ve been very helpful and I appreciate it immensely. Stay safe you two.”

As she turned to go, she sent another quick, inconspicuous look toward Wes. Her gaze on him was harder this time; it was a look that said follow me.

With a wave of her hand, Enora and Odile followed her toward the entrance of the cave.

 

[Flyg0n]

“But even so, why wouldn’t he jump at the extra help? I guess everyone’s different, but I’d take all the help I could get if my ‘mon were poisoned that badly.”

"I probably wouldn't trust me, if my pokemon had just been poisoned," he pointed out grimly. "Might check in on him again later though. I feel bad for the Klefki..."

“I mean…Clink has access to other dimensions, don’t they? Would it be particularly shocking if they found the missing trainers somehow and were, well, drugged into silence?”

"Bingo," Sigmin said, his face twisting into a snarl. "Although thats messed up as hell," he spat.

“He’s probably worried. People disappearing left and right, and now his Pokémon are sick? I wouldn’t want just any stranger to get close, either. And it’s hard to know who to trust on this island…” he trailed off, lost in thought. “So the question is, how do we gain his trust so he’ll let us talk to them?”

Sigmin nodded thoughtfully. "No idea there," he said with a shrug. "Maybe he'd feel better if someone who wasn't a poison-type trainer approached him though."

Wes frowned again. “Wait…didn’t that Pokémon down at the beach—Manaphy, or whatever—say that they couldn’t detect any of the missing trainers on the island? Which means they probably are in some…weird dimension of some sort…”

Both Sigmin and Nox let out exasperated groans at that. "I thought that whole ultra beast thing was bad enough, creatures from other dimensions. But this is worse." He paused and stared up at the ceiling in thought. "Or not..." Lunala's wings, he never thought he'd have to ask those kinda of questions.

Neo’s eyes grew wide, practically sparkling in awe. Cool. Cool! This Nox was so cool! He shifted his weight from one paw to the other, unable to sit still. “We do not have gyms! But we have Col…Col…Columns! When we go there, we get to battle lots! We are not able to go too much, though, because Wes says we cannot draw too much attention.” He wilted a little. “And sometimes the other trainers are mean and scary and will tell their Pokémon to hurt you. The kind of hurt that doesn’t go away for a long time.”
He brightened at the mention of pancakes. “I like those too! I do not know what this ‘sushi’ is. I will have to find it someday.”

"They must be bad at battling then," Nox said disdainfully. "Battling is about skill and strategy, not about hurting."

"Perhaps I will have Sigmin bring you some," Nox declared. "Everyone should like sushi."

“Bri!”

Wes was halfway through formulating another thought to share when Novo’s bark rattled loudly in the little cavern, making all of them jump. Wes stiffened upon seeing the Umbreon leap from his hiding place and run up to him, rings flaring in alarm, chattering frantically.

He quickly crouched to Novo’s level. “Woah, woah, slow down, what’s—?”

“Spiiii?” Neo trotted over to his brother, ears angled back. Wes heard Sigmin and Odette sputter at the interruption, but he ignored them, focused on the exchange Neo and Novo were having. Then, after a moment, Neo looked at Wes and sent him a series of psychic signals.

“You—what?”

Novo keened and pressed into Wes’ coat. There was no denying it. He was afraid.

Wes turned slowly to face the others, who were all watching him with varying degrees of confusion and alarm. He tried and failed to keep his voice level. “Novo says he just got a message—long story—that someone else has been attacked. A blue-haired guy with a Milotic. Don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him around, I think he was on the boat with us.” Granted, it was hard to forget anyone who wore a latex…something or other with a beret. And a cape. But that didn’t matter right now.

“They’re in the infirmary…with another trainer and a Mightyena?” He looked to Odette with a frown. He couldn’t help but think it sounded like Mitch, but…no. There was no way.

Sigmin jolted, rising to his feet as the Umbreon sprang from the shadows. He tensed, looking half ready for a fight before realizing all of the Umbreon's attention was on Wes. Nox flared up, half ready to start spittingfire before he relaxed a little upon seeing there was no threat. Sigmin listened, puzzled, as they communicated something between the three of them. "Well dang," he muttered. His expression appeared both troubled and relieved by the news, as well as confused. How had they done it? He almost wanted to ask, but decided to wait. Questions could come later.

She turned to Sigmin. “He’s a friend of mine, so I should go see if he’s okay. You’ve been very helpful and I appreciate it immensely. Stay safe you two.”

"Uh yeah... Good luck. I hope he's alright." He considered going with them, then quickly decided against it. Three really was a crowd, and his presence wouldn't make much difference anyway. "Glad I could help a bit."

 

[HelloYellow17]

As she turned to go, she sent another quick, inconspicuous look toward Wes. Her gaze on him was harder this time; it was a look that said follow me.

Not going to answer him directly, apparently. Fine. Wes was satisfied enough with Sigmin’s answers anyway. He stood, nodded his thanks to the other trainer, and followed Odette out of the cave.

"Perhaps I will have Sigmin bring you some," Nox declared. "Everyone should like sushi."

Neo hadn’t had time to reply before his brother had come bursting out of the shadows, a whole bundle of anxiety and fear and worry that nearly toppled the Espeon over. But just before following after Wes, he looked back over his shoulder and chirped his thanks to his new friend. “I would like that! Let’s have sushi and battle sometime!”

And with that, the three of them made their exit.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

 

[Phoenixsong]

Charizard only seemed antsier as they took off yet again and resumed their spiral flight around the mountainside. Blue couldn't blame the guy; he wasn't feeling much more optimistic himself. Three cave mouths they'd checked so far this morning, and three times they'd come up with jack, zilch, and a flock of zubat who didn't much appreciate the sudden interruption of their afternoon nap. None of the caves led anywhere at all, let alone to a cave system deep enough to keep a freaking lava legendary happy on vacation. (It sure wasn't enough to keep the zubat happy.)

"We'll find it, Charizard," he said, patting the side of his starter's neck for reassurance. "Heatran's gotta be here somewhere, right?"

Charizard didn't acknowledge him, gaze still scouring every nook and cranny of the mountainside. What had gotten into him today? No question at all that they definitely needed to be doing something, but Blue couldn't shake the feeling that something else had him on edge. Was he just in a hurry to see if the other victims could be brought back? Nervous about the big heist the rest of the Trousselin crew was planning? Charizard hadn't given the impression he'd wanted to go along with that; he'd just nodded when Blue had suggested to the group that his team's talents were probably best used elsewhere, rather than trying to ask a forty-foot sea serpent and a dragon that was actively on fire 24/7 to tiptoe around a tiny apartment without anybody noticing. Was he just worried about whether the others were going to get caught?

Blue's stomach jolted as Charizard dropped out of the air and landed less-than-gracefully on the mountainside. "Dude, take it easy," he groaned, stumbling a little as he hopped off his friend's back. "Usually the pilot warns the passengers when there's gonna be turbulence, y'know?"

The complaint, at least, seemed to grab Charizard's attention. He rumbled a sheepish apology, spent a few seconds fussing over Blue to make sure he was steady, but snapped back to the opening he'd noticed as soon as he was sure his human was all right. It led into indistinct darkness, just like all the others they'd tried so far today. It was probably just as likely to lead to a dead end, or more angry, bitey, fighty zubat. The trouble with that was that zubat weren't was Charizard was looking to deal with today.

It had to be here somewhere...