Dorm Hall - 3rd Floor

[Hanafuda]

“Oh man, this place is majestic!” Seb exclaimed as he opened the door to his dorm. “Talking with all these epic people and Pokémon, enjoying the deluxe food and even being able to train you guys! Lovin’ it so far!”

The dorm in question was a spacious room. Compared to the hotel and motel rooms Seb had seen before, it was massive. There was a TV set on one of the walls with a queen-sized bed at the opposite side. The ceiling was high up, seemingly barely reaching the clouds above. There was a skylight filtering in the light of the moon into the room. A large tree was even in one of the room’s corners, with a pair of big nests resting on different branches. The window beside the tree had a pair of open curtains, and the beautiful scenery of the island was visible from a balcony outside.

“Yup, this is first class right here,” Seb said, hands on his hips as he admired the room’s architecture. “Wish Mom was here to see this.” He looked down with worry. “Wait, does Mom even know that I’m here? I should text her right now.” He took out his Rotom Phone and opened the chat app. Unfortunately, there was a pop-up saying that there was no signal. “Weird. I thought a resort like this one would have amazing reception. I should send a complaint to the staff’s mailbox.” He pocketed his phone and surveyed the room some more. He noticed a suitcase nearby. “Hm? Was this always here?” He approached it cautiously, laid it down on the floor and slowly opened it. He noticed different sets of clothes that he was able to recognize. “My jammies? I don’t remember bringing anything else aside from Zack and Jack. Well, maybe the staff arranged this for me. I should thank them when I see them.”

---

After a short delay in the bathroom, Seb was now wearing a pair of red sports shorts and a grey t-shirt, completely barefoot.

“Well, I should really sleep now. Everyone’s gone to bed and there’s nothing else to do.” He jumped onto the bed and grabbed the remote on the nightstand. “But we have TV, so maybe we could watch some Pokémon battles.” He surfed through the channels until he found one that was broadcasting a match in a stadium in Galar. “Aw yeah! League battles! Is Leon gonna be there?”

The screen displayed a speech that was being given by a man with a grey business suit, much to Seb’s dismay.

“Ugh, Chairman Rose. He talks about bonds with Pokémon, but I’m pretty sure he’s just trying to save face. Seriously, the fact that he has workplaces serving him and that his Trainer card was written by his secretary should be dead giveaways that he’s lying! I really wanna punch him…”

Once Rose finished his speech, two Trainers stepped into the field.

“Oh, another Leon versus Raihan match? I mean, they show those two almost all the time, but I don’t get tired of their battles!” Seb looked up at the tree, where Jack was laying down on one of the nests. “You can watch with me if you want, buddy.” He laid his head down on the pillows as he watched Leon’s Charizard duke it out against Raihan’s Flygon.

---

Jack wasn’t entirely focused on the TV. He was thinking about everything that happened during the day. That strange doppelgänger that Zack wanted to face, the Tropius who was a Trainer speaking human, Seb identifying the Wallace they met as a different version of the one his Trainer knew, Xavian mentioning Clink having invited mythical Pokémon and Orzo being the one who brought him and the other guests to this island… What exactly was happening? Did all of this have to do with the fact that they were all in this place he called ‘the space between worlds’? No, he was going on a tangent with that last one. Maybe this host had some secrets waiting to be discovered. Those Pokémon really made him curious, after all. Once morning came, he would start looking for any clues that would lead him to the final answer.

---

Meanwhile, in a forest of tall trees fabricated by a Poké Ball, Zack sat on a branch, frowning and hunched down with a wing on his knee. He was thinking to himself. What exactly went wrong during the trip on the ship? He was ready to face off against a powerful villain, and he was robbed of his chance to prove himself a hero by an Aggron. What was worse was that Seb put him on timeout until the next morning. He was missing out on all the fun! Why couldn’t he go out and try to find the perfect chick? Was it because he disappointed his Trainer?

Maybe… Maybe that was the reason he was put on timeout. He must’ve done something wrong. Something real heroes wouldn’t do.

He wanted to save the ship and failed… Maybe it was destroyed and he was sinking into the ocean floor and he was unaware?

The Pidgey raised his head, eyes wide in fear. No, this couldn’t be the end! Seb had to be alright! What if his failure costed everyone’s lives!? No no no, that couldn’t be right! Were Poké Balls even waterproof? He would’ve known if he was sinking if he saw water leaking in. Maybe Seb was still alive and kicking and was having a good time with Jack out there. But what about that villain? If she didn’t destroy the ship, what happened? Was she still on the loose?

Zack slapped his head a few times as he composed himself. Either way, he still hopes everyone was alright. He could always try again and stop that monster for good. But he needed some training first. He needed to be stronger if he wanted to be a real hero.

Wait… Jack was trying to stop him from getting himself killed trying to fight the villain, right? Oh crap, he didn’t listen! He didn’t listen to his best friend! He really needed to apologize to the Farfetch’d once he saw him again. Apologize first, train later. Yeah, he had a long road ahead before becoming a hero. Maybe some smaller steps would help.

 

[Sinderella]

Third floor was the best choice. Their room had clearly been tailored to meet the needs of flying Pokemon, which is exactly what Odile's hyperactive ass needed. A room with enough leg room to soar around without breaking anything, and enough places to perch where she could hang upside down or climb around without making too much noise. And of course, the skylight and balcony were for Odette and Enora to enjoy. A good view was a nice plus.

It was hard to enjoy it all, or even see it, through tears.


Odette had practically sprinted from the dining hall, and didn't allow herself to slow down until she was inside the room she'd chosen. The damned tears didn't even give her the common courtesy to wait until she was safely inside her dorm, out of public view. They were half way down her face before she even made it up the first flight of stairs. She didn't dare take the elevator, because why risk running into somebody else when she was acting like this?

The dam broke as soon as she slammed the door shut, and she leaned on it for leverage as sobs racked her small frame.

In the past, whenever she was overwrought with emotion, she usually just screamed. A single scream, and some deep breaths. That's all it took to right herself. But nowadays, she'd demoted herself to childish tears. Panic. Sometimes she even couldn't breathe; it was absolutely ridiculous. Crying her damn eyes out because strangers were looking at her funny? Or because something had flashed her back to that thing, or Dorien, or Ultra Space, or Team Enigma, or--

Right. The therapist had a name for what this was called. And Odette wasn't doing herself any favors by crucifying herself for having it.

She adjusted herself to sit on the floor, having not realized Enora and Odile had moved up next to her. Enora had her ribbons wrapped Odette's leg, while Odile stood by, wringing her hands uncomfortably.


"Can I please help you this time?"


She was quiet while she thought about it. It didn't take long before she nodded. "Please."


Enora brought her ribbons up to the sides of Odette's head, caressing her temples with them. The tips of them began to glow with a soft pink light as they imbued a sense of calm into her.


The relief fell on like a wash of warm water. It felt good. She felt so much less weighted now. "Thanks."

"̷D̶-̶d̸i̶d̴ ̷I̸ ̴d̸o̴ ̸s̸o̴m̷e̶t̸h̴i̵n̴g̷ ̴a̶g̷a̸i̸n̶?̵ ̴I̵-̴I̸ ̷r̷e̴a̵l̴l̶y̴ ̷t̵r̷i̶e̸d̴ ̴t̶o̶ ̵n̸o̸t̷ ̵c̵a̷u̸s̷e̵ ̴p̶r̵o̸b̴l̴e̴m̸s̷ ̶o̵n̴ ̶p̷u̸r̷p̸o̷s̸e̸ ̷l̷i̵k̴e̶ ̸I̴ ̶s̵a̴i̵d̴ ̶I̵ ̵w̵o̸u̷l̵d̵,̵ ̸b̶u̷t̵ ̴s̶o̶m̴e̴t̷i̴m̶e̸s̵ ̷I̵ ̷c̷a̵n̸'̵t̷ ̶r̵e̵a̵l̸l̵y̵-̷-̵"̷


"No," Odette said slowly. "You were actually very good tonight." Even though she'd stolen an entire tray of food straight off the bar, but that was entirely preferable to her feeding off somebody's untapped wrath and causing a fight. "I appreciate it."



"̸F̴U̴C̸K̶ ̶F̶U̶C̷K̵I̴N̷G̵ ̶Y̸E̷A̴H̵,̶ ̴I̴ ̶L̶I̸S̵T̸E̶N̷E̸D̸.̸"̵


For once, Odile's random outbursts was a pinch of comedy that she needed right now. She forced a small laugh through her lasting sniffles as she wiped her eyes.

Bzzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzt. Bzzzzzzzzt.


"Shit," she said upon feeling her phone buzz against her leg. She whipped it out, and suddenly panicked when she saw it was Clovis video calling. She didn't even have time to be grateful that her phone still had service, now that she knew for certain this was a multiverse setting, because she stood up and rushed to put herself back together.

"Stop crying. You're chill. Everything's chill," she told herself. She wiped her eyes again with her sleeve. "No tears. Don't freak them out. You're fine." She sniffled, then took a deep, shaky breath as she balled her hands in determination. "WE. ARE HAVING. A FANTASTIC. TIME."

She pressed the answer button.

"Hi, Bunny."

She was a little taken aback to see that it was Guzma, holding the camera up to the mirror, showing that he was dressed to impress in perhaps one of the nicest suits she'd ever seen him in.

"'Dette, check this motherfuckin' drip. I'm a fuckin' baller," he said as he struck some Chad-esque pose.

In the background, Clovis's voice rang out. "Guzma, Loic, where the fuck is my phone? I left it here on the night stand."

Somewhere further off in the distance, Loic shrieked. Something crashed. Assorted Pokemon cries could be heard.

"I have it, idiot. I'm callin' O. Mine died," Guzma replied after a long cringe.

"I TOLD YOU TO CHARGE IT."

"'ND I DIDN'T LISTEN, GROUND ME."

Clovis soon rushed into view of the mirror, also dressed fabulously. He'd even pushed his hair back, good fucking gods. They matched. What a sight they were.

She wished she was with them and not here.

"Then you're going to have to give it to Vikavolt in the car, because we're going to miss our reservation if we don't leave now," Clovis sighed, adjusting his tie.

"Dinner plans?" Odette asked through a smile.

Clovis finally stopped his primping and walked over to peer at the phone. "Hiiiiiiiii Sweetness," he cooed. "Yeah, we all have reservations with--"

He suddenly paused, and his brows knit in concern. He snatched the phone from Guzma and switched the camera around. "Honey, were you crying?" he asked frantically.

That eagle eyed motherfucker. She felt herself blanch. "No, I--"

"Hey, yeah," Guzma whined, now also looking. "Yer eyes are all puffy." His expression quickly became furious, and he pounded a fist into his palm. "WHO 'M I ROLLIN' UP TO FUCKIN' BEAT TO DEATH FOR MAKIN' YOU--"

Clovis pushed on Guzma's head aggressively, and he stopped talking.

"What's wrong, Sweetness?" Clovis asked softly.

She shook her head, stammering over an onslaught of excuses. "I-I wasn't crying. I was just...homesick."

Neither of them said anything at first. They just exchanged glances.

"Want us to come getcha?" Guzma spoke.

That was out of the question. If either of them knew this was another one of those multiverse things, they'd flip the hell out. She shook her head frantically. "No, don't worry about it. I'm okay, really." Besides, she was no quitter. PTSD or not. She wanted to be anywhere else but here, yes, but she was determined to pull through without having to run back to them. "All good. I'm more concerned with whatever Loic just broke," she joked, pushing through a light laugh. How they were going to get his ass through a nice dinner was beyond her, but that was a far more entertaining thought than whatever was plaguing her now.

She sauntered over to her bed and sat down, feeling as Enora hopped up next to her. Odile merely sat on the floor at her feet. She looked back and forth between them almost solemnly, before laying back onto her pillow.

"Tell me about your dinner plans." Anything to keep them off her puffy eyes, and her mind off of the next two weeks.

 

[IFBench]

As Coleane got settled into her room, Gen finding a cozy human bed to get snug in, she pulled out her phone from her bag with a vine, and tapped on the Journer app. She should check in with her online friends!

Journer
Catching wild Pidove...


Gilded Gaggle of Goofs

#general
​

Delino: It really came out that long ago? Man, I feel old.

Ta Writeer: ye, came out before i was even born

Tapestry: All I'm saying is, there's no reason you should be afraid of a Corvisquire, and this movie proves it.

wingsofachampion: hey guys! i made it to the island with gen! there's so much cool human stuff here!

Sad Snom: What island?

MonDegreen: You're going to an island?

Ta Writeer: and im saying corvisquire look like they could eat me!

Ta Writeer: oh hi wings!!!​

Oh. She forgot to tell her friends.

Well, she could do that now!

wingsofachampion: i got invited to a celebration of humans and pokemon friendship! it's on an island, and we just made it!

Delino: Hell yeah! Have fun out there, Wings!

Sad Snom: Are you sure it's not a scam?

wingsofachampion: yeppers! and there's a bunch of other trainers here, too!

MonDegreen: That's so cool! How's it been so far? What kinds of Pokemon did you meet?

Tapestry: They're just big Swablus! They sing when they're pet! They love helping others fly!

wingsofachampion: i saw a weird pidgey and farfetch'd, a weavile in a lab coat, a charmander and ninetales that could speak like me, and a pokemon i don't the name of that can also talk!

Delino: Wow.

Sad Snom: Huh.

Tapestry: That's...definitely interesting.

Ta Writeer: and they have metal wings and could tear me to shreds if they wanted!

Tapestry: But they don't want to! They want to be your friend!

MonDegreen: EEEEEEEEE THAT'S SO COOL WINGS! You'll have to keep us updated! I wanna hear more!

wingsofachampion: i will!
​

Coleane smiled, as she read her friends' messages. Oh, how happy she was to be friends with them, and how excited she was to be making new friends here, too!

She put her phone away, got cozy under the skylight, and soon fell asleep.

Delino: Hope Wings will be alright.

Sad Snom: I'm sure she will be.

Tapestry: corviknight.mp4

Tapestry: Look at this big beautiful bird, and listen to them sing.

Ta Writeer: still terrifying

Delino: Yeah. She's not alone, after all.

Tapestry: That wasn't enough time to watch the video.

Ta Writeer: maybe i dont want to watch a video of a giant murderbird

Tapestry: You want a murderbird, go find a Fearow or Staraptor. Not these friendly balls of steel fluff.

Sad Snom: Can confirm. A Staraptor broke my arm a few years ago.

Delino: Yikes.

Tapestry: You have Toucannons in Alola, right? Can't they shatter boulders? Why aren't you terrified of those?

Ta Writeer: theyre friendly if you dont touch their chicks

MonDegreen: Adorable video, Tapestry! I wanna pet them!

Tapestry: Corviknight are even friendlier! They'll let you pet their chicks!

Tapestry: Thank you for being a sensible person unlike SOMEONE here (/lh), Degreen. They're a recent rescue at our shelter.

MonDegreen: I'd love to hear about them after I watch the Mimikyus in Orre season 2 trailer that just dropped!

Delino: Oh, sweet! Gonna have to watch that.​

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Howls, but she could just throw herself face-first onto her bed and pass the fuck out. The idea tempted Laura, but she had too much a sense of responsibility to do that. So instead, she found herself unpacking her things with a squinty scowl, muttering to herself about how this trip was just a sidetrack at best or a trap at worst. Toiletries and meds to the bathroom, extra clothes and towel to the wardrobe, valuables and documents to the safe, Sleet's pokéball—

Sleet's pokéball.

Laura held the black-capped capsule in her hand, her temple twitching. The invitation had suggested attendees bring only their ace partner. She had chosen Malachai. It made sense for her to choose Malachai. The noivern was so absurdly strong compared to the rest of the team it was a fucking joke. But here was the ball for her official 'starter', tucked away inside her bag in a spot she had not placed it. She had a second, unintended companion for this trip.

She hit the release button, and Sleet streamed out into the room as white energy, coalescing into the tall, slender shape of an inteleon. Navy topscales, white belly, a not-dissimilar colouration to Mal's, really... Although of course this reptile had a humanoid shape and the ability to cross her arms in a huff, giving her a completely different bearing.

Sleet might have been incapable of remorse, but she at least had enough shame to look embarrassed.

"Really?" asked Laura, her voice flat. "You decided to stowaway?"

[I deserve to be here,] Sleet signed back, instantly. [I'm your starter/partner.]

Laura groaned. Why had she ever wanted to be a trainer? Training pokémon was just dealing with stubborn, prideful creatures of all shapes and sizes, day-in, day-out. And her 'starter' was the most difficult of all. She was too tired for this shit. Beyond tired.

"Well I can't exactly send you back now that you're here," she said, after a moment's self-pity. "But you remember the deal with this trip, right? Well, did you overhear the part where it's in some other time or dimension or whatever, while you were in your ball? This shit's serious, and we have no idea what's really going on or why we're here. It could be dangerous. So... Are you gonna behave yourself?"

Sleet rolled her eyes and made a 'yammering' gesture with her hand, like a stroppy child. [Blah, blah, blah! Whatever.] The inteleon strolled over to the bed, brushed her hand across it with an appreciative chittering growl, and then threw herself onto it with a whoomph from her gliding membranes. She hissed and twisted her head with a brief hand-motion to her mouth, and a different hand gesture against her chin.

[You got snacks, bitch?]

So much for a peaceful night's rest with Malachai roosting nearby. Sleet was a fucking night owl. And a menace.

Laura gestured to the minifridge. "Get them yourself if you're so hungry." Sleet pulled a face, but did so nonetheless. Laura, meanwhile, released Malachai.

"You're welcome to sleep wherever, including your ball," she muttered. <But if you happen to notice Sleet getting up to some bullshit—>

<I will intervene,> replied Malachai, in a final tone of thought. <Rest well.>

"Thanks."

Minutes later, when Laura had showered and changed into her pyjamas, Malachai had taken to hanging from an overhang on the ceiling as if at a cave mouth, and Sleet had gorged herself on crisps and chocolate, Laura turned to the lizard insisting on taking up half the bed, and made a mollifying sign with one hand.

"Sleet, it's not that I don't want you here. I'm just trying to make decisions that make sense, and are good for the team. And what makes sense to me right now is that since you're here, we ought to work together, like partners, instead of arguing. Can we do that? Please?"

The intelleon peered at her through a single, narrowed eye. Her nicitating membrane flicked closed, and then back again.

"Mmmmmmaybe," she croaked, in awkward Galarish. "Yooouu nneed Sleet."

Laura sighed, and somehow forced a weary smile. "I do need you. We need each other, remember?"

Sleet grumbled something that probably meant [I guess.]

"Okay. Well how's this for starters..." Laura wet her lips, thinking through her phrasing carefully. She could try to bargain that she'd be in a better mood and more cooperative if Sleet let her have an undisturbed rest... Or...

Laura puffed her cheeks and pursed her mouth. Her went nothing. "Sleet, Mal and I are knackered. I need you to stand watch for us. Can you make sure nobody fucks with us during the night?"

Something about inteleon facial structure let Sleet manifest about three-hundred percent as much smugness as a human could ever manage.

"'Kay," she croaked, hissing with delight.

Sleet slithered off the bed to snoop around in total silence, leaving Laura to pull the covers overself, and try to get some sleep. Bizarrely, she did feel somehow safer with the bloody reptile around to keep an eye on her.

 

[IFBench]

Coleane flew onto the balcony outside her room, laying down under the skylight. She stared up at the sky, letting herself relax and photosynthesize.

Today had been...not the best so far. People not believing her, uncomfortable realizations...

...it was only one person who didn't believe her, but...still, it stung.

She felt the frustration May felt with her, her disbelief at her words.

She felt how much disdain May had for what she was saying.

...

Maybe talking to her online friends would help.

Journer
Biking through mountains...


Gilded Gaggle of Goofs

#general
​

MonDegreen: Still freaking out over that trailer.

MonDegreen: Just. WOW!

MonDegreen: Can't believe Pix is getting a trainer!

Delino: Ye! I'm hype for this season!

Tapestry: What do you mean they're scary? I could sorta get Corviknights, but DUNSPARCE?!

Ta Writeer: their eyes are so weird and theyre so much bigger in person
​

Looks like they're busy, and Writeer and Tapestry were still arguing...

She'd check back in later. She could manage. She could manage.

She heard the door opening, and saw a smiling Oshawott waddling towards her, waving, saying, "Hi Coleane!"

"Hey Gen! How was your time at the restaurant?" Coleane asked, raising one of her wings in greeting.

"I-it was good! I met a really n-nice person named Steven!" Gen said, his tail wagging. "How about you? D-did you have fun flying?"

"...not really," Coleane admitted, staring up at the sky. A bright blue sky with sparse clouds, that she always had so much flying around. And yet, after her conversation with May, it brought her next to no joy.

"What h-happened?" Gen asked, waddling closer to her, and hugging one of her forelegs as best he could.

"I'm not a hero, and I'm never going to be," Coleane said, her wings drooping. "I'm not human, and all I was summoned was to become Champion. Why can't I do something grand like the heroes?"

"Well...you're a h-hero to me," Gen said, looking up at her. "You've given me companionship, and p-promised to get me home. That...that means the world to me. I don't know what I'd h-have done without you.

She...she had saved him, hadn't she? She'd found him all alone, panicking, pleading for someone, anyone to find him. And...she'd found him, cared for him, helped him recover. And now they were partners.

Maybe...maybe she really was a hero, even if it was just to one person.

"Thanks, Gen," Coleane said, draping a wing over the Oshawott. He squeaked in response, and Coleane smiled. She was so happy to have him as her partner.

<><><><><>​

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Hazel was waiting for Gladion to be getting back from shopping. She was going to be learning a new thing and was looking forward to it. Being excited was making waiting harder, though. She was getting bored of practising signing silent sounds with nobody who would be hearing them.

Maybe if she was going up to the third floor she could be talking to Malachai. He was hearing her if she was just thinking loud enough. She liked her brother but she was also wishing he could do that too. But now that she was learning to make signs that meant silent sounds it would be okay.

She opened the door and made her way upstairs. Nobody was seeing her, which was good. She didn't want to be scaring anyone. Hopefully her friends would still be there.

 

[Flyg0n]

Sleet used Odor Sleuth! Sleet discovered something!

After much snooping and slinking around, it seems there's much to see in the dorms. Plenty of scents, sights and sounds. Most belong to trainers already seen around the island - the boy with the chimera, various eeveelution pokemon, and all the other strange trainers here. All the scents are layered too, from folks coming and going from their rooms.

Nothing strange there.

But the first floor seems to hold something unusual. The scent of a boy and Scizor, heading into a room (judging by the door it must be one of the forest-y dorms) but no scent leaving. Did some trainer stay in his room all day?

There's something else strange as well. Another scent, in front of the door. A Hypno and a womans scent. Whatever that means. A visitor or something? The scent seems to stop outside the door, as far as one can tell. However, the door is locked from the inside.

Other than that, everything else seems about as normal as one can expect on an island with sanguine gods and talking Tropius'.

 

[Hanafuda]

“Aah, this was an epic day,” Seb exclaimed after opening the door and stretching his arms. Zack flew from behind him towards the nest bed above Jack.

“Yo, Jack-o, my dude!” The Pidgeotto sat on his nest cross-legged and looked below. “What’ve you been up to?”

“Oh, hey, Jack,” Seb said, looking up at the Farfetch’d laying on his nest and examining a feather grasped in his wing. “I was a bit worried about your absence. I almost didn’t notice you.” He took off his jacket and laid on the bed. “You wouldn’t believe the chat I had with Wallace at the Pokémon Center. I don’t think I’d give it justice if I just told you—it was pretty nice.”

“Yeah, and his Milotic was cool,” Zack added. “It was a sweet time.”

Jack smiled, not removing his gaze from the feather. “I’m glad we had good times overall.”

“Well, better sleep—it’s getting pretty late.” Seb laid his head onto the pillows, gazing at the stars beyond the windows. “Good night, guys.”

“G’night.” Zack waved a wing.

“See you in the morning,” Jack muttered.

The Pidgeotto leaned his head down, coming closer to the Farfetch’d. “Uh, Jack-o? Whatcha got there? You’re kinda quiet right now.”

“A feather,” Jack replied.

“Uh, is it from a chick? Did someone come here?”

“No, I found this in the forest outside. And I’m not sure if the owner of this feather is female.”

“Well, what’s so special about it, then?” Zack tilted his head in confusion.

“It’s a Xatu feather.” Jack brushed the feather for a bit.

“Yeah, so?”

“Have you seen at least one Xatu among us?”

“Uh, no? Why are you askin’?”

“This feather has been bothering me ever since I found it. It could’ve been from a wild Xatu or maybe an infiltrator.”

“Maybe you’re just lookin’ too much into it. It can’t be anythin’ big. I mean, so far, the only villain I’ve seen was that crazy shadow lady.”

“Yeah. I just thought you’d have liked to know.”

“It’s no big deal, man. ‘Sides, we should sleep for what comes next day.”

“Do you think a villain—aside from that doppelgänger—will show up tomorrow?”

“Nah, that would be too good to be true. I mean, we’re on an island resort. Nothin’ can go wrong here, don’tcha think, my guy?”

Jack remained silent for a few seconds. “Yeah…” he said in slight disappointment.

“Aw, don’t be so sad,” Zack said before going back up to his nest. “Just leave that dumb feather and enjoy your time here. It’s been epic today and will still be tomorrow and onward, so chill. G’night now.”

Jack laid down, the feather held onto his chest. “Good night.” He didn’t want to abandon the possibility of the Xatu feather having something to do with the island’s mystery, but it was also unlikely that that was the case. Nonetheless, he went to sleep, patiently awaiting the events of tomorrow.

 

[Sinderella]

"̶I̵ ̷g̴e̷t̶ ̷i̵t̴ ̶c̵r̸a̴c̵k̵i̷n̵'̶ ̷l̵i̷k̶e̸ ̵a̷ ̵b̸a̸d̶ ̵b̵a̵c̸k," Odile rapped into the karaoke mic. She stood on the bed as if it were a stage for her comeback performance--because of fucking course it was. The music was perfectly loud enough, she could feel the bass in her gut, and of COURSE she was going to do this masterpiece of a track justice.

"̴B̸i̴t̸c̶h̶ ̴t̶a̸l̷k̴i̴n̵'̶ ̴s̴h̸e̶ ̴t̵h̷e̵ ̶q̸u̷e̶e̴n̶,̷ ̴w̸h̵e̶n̷ ̵s̷h̴e̷ ̶l̶o̶o̵k̷i̷n̵'̴ ̶l̵i̸k̵e̷ ̷a̸ ̸l̷a̴b̸ ̸r̴a̵t̶.̷ ̷I̷'̵m̷ ̶A̴N̵G̷E̵L̷I̷N̴A̸,̴" she pointed at Enora, ̸"y̵o̷u̸ ̴J̴E̵N̴N̴I̴F̸E̵R̶.̸"


"..."


She then leapt off the bed, gesturing wildly to herself. "̷C̶o̴m̶e̷ ̷o̴n̷,̴ ̶b̶i̶t̷c̵h̸,̸ ̷Y̴O̴U̵ ̴S̴E̷E̸ ̷W̸H̵E̷R̵E̷ ̸B̷R̸A̷D̵ ̷A̷T̸.̷"̸


Fresh out of the shower and mid-skin routine, Odette could hear the music from the ajar door. She briefly seized massaging her moisturizer into her skin to try to get a look at what exactly Odile was doing.

"What the fuck is going on over there? Are you having a party?" Clovis's voice rang from her phone, perched neatly on a stack of face towels on the bathroom counter.

"No. I think Odile figured out our TV has a karaoke feature and she's still on her Nicki Minaj kick," she said, still trying to look through the space in the door.

"Oh, then I'm sure your noise complaints will be--Guzma. Can you please do the stupid mission and stop running over pedestrians?"

Odette whipped back around to get a good look at her phone screen. Clovis was holding the phone, laying in their bed with Loic resting on his right shoulder, and Powdered Sugar on the left. Guzma was sitting up beside him and clinging to a game controller. His eyes were clearly fixed on something else.

"Bruh, killin' the innocents is the best fuckin' part of the game," Guzma whined as he mashed down on some buttons.

"Dude," Clovis gasped, very evidently exasperated. He was struggling to not move, as to not wake the sleeping Mimikyu and Snom on him. "Stay on the goddamn road!"

"Stop bein' a goddamn ninny," Guzma spat.


"̶A̵Y̴O̷ ̶S̴B̶,̵ ̸W̴H̷A̶T̵ ̸T̵H̵E̶ ̷F̵U̶C̷K̷'̶S̶ ̶G̷O̸O̸D̷?̶ ̸W̵E̸ ̴S̵H̵I̵P̷ ̵P̶L̶A̶T̵I̴N̸U̴M̴,̷ ̴T̷H̸E̸M̸ ̵B̷I̶T̵C̷H̵E̶S̴ ̷S̴H̸I̶P̷P̴I̶N̸'̶ ̸W̶O̷O̶D̴-̶-̷"̷


Truth be told, Odette would have been a lot less enthused by the noise had she not spent the night before bouncing back and forth between wallowing in self pity and struggling to fall asleep. This more upbeat vibe was a welcome change, even if it might come at the expense of her sanity. Really, there were much better Nicki Minaj songs for her to be singing...

She brought her hands back to her face and rubbed the rest of the cream into her cheeks.

"Well, was today at least a little better for you?" Clovis asked.

She nodded, averting her eyes back to the phone. "Honestly, yeah. Enora got chummy with some other Eons and I got to talk to some nice girls."

"But were they cute nice girls?" Guzma wondered. He didn't look at the camera though, and Odette couldn't help but laugh.

Thinking about it now...Kimiko had her stupid blush, and Laura had her eagerness to get to the bottom of everything...and they were both very nice on the eyes...


"̵Y̷O̶U̶ ̶A̴ ̶S̴T̵U̶P̶I̶D̸ ̴H̸O̸E̵,̶ ̸Y̴O̷U̷ ̸A̶,̶ ̸Y̸O̶U̵ ̴A̸ ̵S̵T̴U̸P̵I̷D̴ ̸H̷O̴E̵.̸ ̶Y̸O̵U̸ ̸A̶ ̷S̴T̸U̵P̶I̶D̶ ̸H̷O̵E̶,̷ ̴Y̶O̴U̸ ̷A̷,̴ ̶Y̸O̴U̷ ̵A̶ ̷S̵T̶U̴P̵I̶D̴ ̶H̵O̸E̸-̸-̸"̷


Oh gods. Yeah. They were cute. And she was talking to them. How absolutely wild.

"Yes," she said simply.

"Nice," Guzma said, sounding quite proud. He then jolted the remote. "Get out of the fuckin' road, grandma!"

"Okay, you know what," Clovis huffed, pushing himself up a little. "Take the phone, give me the remote. I'm over it."

"Clovis, I don't expect ya to understand this because yer not a hardened hood Ratatta like me," Guzma said as they made they trade, "but little old ladies like that are fuckin' vicious."

"Have you met my grandmother?" Clovis asked incredulously, adjusting the remote in his hands as he eyed Guzma closely. "I'm well aware."


"̵Y̶O̶U̸ ̷A̸ ̵S̶T̸U̴P̷I̵D̶ ̶H̶O̴E̴,̸ ̴Y̷O̷U̴ ̶A̷,̴ ̸Y̵O̵U̶ ̷A̴ ̴S̵T̸U̷P̸I̸D̴ ̵H̴O̶E̷-̴-̵"̵


Odette patted her face gingerly before going in with her eye cream and facial oil. "I really hope she isn't going to be doing that all night..." she muttered.

"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow, hot stuff?" Guzma asked. He was now holding the phone.

Odette blinked a few times as she mindlessly dispensed some of her eye cream onto her fingertips. She then removed her glasses so she could have prime access to that area, leaving her momentarily blind. As she rubbed her hands together, she took that beat to really consider the options.

She could just stick to Laura. Or go find Kimiko. Shit, maybe they could make a girl posse and just stick together for the rest of the time. But, she also wanted to speak to Wes again, perhaps when he was in a better mood (if that was even something that would happen). There were a few others she also wanted to possibly speak to...and maybe apologize to...

Hm. For some reason, the thought of that still made her nervous. The clean slate idea seemed to be working, though. Laura was easy to talk to having not bore witness to the bullshit on the ship, so maybe she should just say fuck it to everyone else and stay that route.

But, then she'd be walking on eggshells of the rest of the trip...

Hngh.

"Who knows," she said, slowly rubbing her fingers under her eyes. "I'm kind of just along for the ride right now."


"̶'̶C̴a̶u̸s̸e̸ ̷I̷ ̶p̵u̸l̵l̸ ̷u̶p̸ ̷i̸n̷ ̴t̶h̵e̸ ̷P̷o̷r̴s̴c̴h̵e̷ ̷b̴u̷t̷ ̵I̶ ̸a̴i̴n̷'̷t̴ ̷d̸e̶ ̶R̷o̴s̴s̶i̴.̸ ̷P̷r̷e̵t̸t̴y̵ ̸b̸i̷t̶c̴h̷e̴s̶ ̷o̵n̷l̴y̴ ̷c̷a̶n̴ ̵g̸e̵t̷ ̷i̸n̵ ̷m̴y̶ ̸p̸o̵s̷s̶e̵-̶-̶"̶

"Maybe apologize for the rapping apparitions coming out of my room," she said, shooting one last look over her shoulder.

But, that was still preferable to how she thought this trip was going to go. She wouldn't complain.

 

[IFBench]

Gen couldn't sleep.

His ears were really good now. Annoyingly good. Extremely sensitive, enough to hear loud and clear what would have been very faint noises to him as a human.

Like the sounds of what sounded like an eldritch horror rapping in the next dorm over.

He flattened his ears against his head, whimpering as he clutched tightly onto the plush Mareep he had gotten from the Skill Swap shop. If he hugged it tight enough, it felt like he was back home in Goldenrod.

"Can't sleep?" Coleane asked, looking up from her conversation with Ta Writeer to share a concerned look with her Oshawott partner.

"No...my ears are so s-sensitive now, and...what is even h-happening next door?!" Gen asked, gazing at the wall, where he heard the words "stupid hoe" on repeat. It was so grating on him, it made him want to scream.

"Huh! I can't hear anything!" Coleane said, looking at the wall. "That's really cool!"

"It's more l-like a curse," Gen grumbled, flicking his tail. "I d-don't want anything to d-do with it. I want my human ears b-back."

"Oh..." Coleane said, looking down. "Well...I'm sure you'll get them back eventually!"

"Thanks, Coleane," Gen said, a tiny smile appearing on his face.

<><><><><>​

 

[IFBench]

Journer
Resting at a Pokemon Center...


Gilded Gaggle of Goofs

#serious
​

Ta Writeer: https://www.shoutotnews.com/hoenn/groups/new-aether-foundation-site-in-hoenn

Ta Writeer: @wingsofachampion you should probably see this

Sad Snom: Oh dear.

wingsofachampion: oh no.

wingsofachampion: they're still after me? what do they even want with me?

Ta Writeer: probably want to "conserve" you

Ta Writeer: ive heard some wacky stuff about them

Ta Writeer: and my research has turned up all sorts of shady things

Ta Writeer: me and tapestry had a convo in dms about some of it

Ta Writeer: suffice to say hes livid at them

Delino: Jeez.

Delino: Guess all that stuff about conservation really was all just a cover.

Delino: And they're still at this, after you did that with with the whatever seed?

wingsofachampion: blast seed!

Tapestry: Oh, can they just fuck off already?

Tapestry: I'm so sorry you have to deal with this.

wingsofachampion: at least me and gen are safe on this island.

wingsofachampion: though there was that one person who said he wanted to kill all humans and really scared gen.

wingsofachampion: hope my team will be ok though.

Delino: Hold on, one person who said what?!

wingsofachampion: yepperdoodles. really weird, but was nice to us.

Ta Writeer: thats really weird

MonDegreen: Yeppers. Glad they're at least nice to ya!

Delino: I want to go to this island myself. See what kinds of insane happenings are going on.

wingsofachampion: maybe you can after the festival! ill ask xenide.

Delino: Appreciated, but I doubt that'll work out.

wingsofachampion: there were also real heroes there.

wingsofachampion: i wish i could be like them.

wingsofachampion: i wanna save the world!

MonDegreen: Hey! You're a hero to me! You've let me be friends with a real Pokemon!

MonDegreen: :hug:

Sad Snom: What do you mean by "real heroes"?

wingsofachampion: said they were recruited to save the world.

Delino: Huh.

Delino: What's the world even in danger from? You're the biggest news the world's had since Team Rocket.

wingsofachampion: don't know.

Ta Writeer: maybe theyre just lying?

wingsofachampion: don't know.

Sad Snom: Whatever is the case, we're here for you, Wings.

Delino: Ye! We're all here to help!

MonDegreen: Yeppers!

Ta Writeer: im gonna do more research to try to figure out whats going on with aether. hope itll help some

Tapestry: And so will I. You stay safe out there, alright?

wingsofachampion: thanks, friends.
​

<><><><><>​

 

[Flyg0n]

At some point during the night, a note is slipped under the door...

And lo, behold when Solgaleo carries the sun to its highest place
Then take shelter behind the Dauntless Shield
And take care to keep this secret
Breathe not a word, no not to a soul​

What a strange note! Is it nonsense? Or could it be a code of some kind...?

 

[Negrek]

[[ Continuing from first floor. ]]

Mightyena let the eevees' trainer scratch behind her ear for a few seconds, then gave his hand a quick swipe with her tongue. She moved over to Nate next, nudging his hand with her nose so he reached down to rub the side of her jaw. Mightyena looked back at the eeveelutions and tried a friendly wag. "I guess your human likes to battle a lot, huh?" she asked. "Mine gets into fights all the time. He's always getting into trouble."

Well, Nate still wasn't entirely sure what all that had been about, but hopefully that was the end of it. What the hell was happening out in Orre, anyhow? He almost wanted to ask more, but on top of that obviously being a super fucking bad idea... other worlds, right? Maybe. It might not be relevant anyhow.

He nodded to Wes. "Sounds good to me. I think the door's on you, though. I ain't got anything on me that'll do for that lock."

 

[IFBench]

Gen waddled into his and Coleane's dorm, smiling brightly. He had a new uncle now! He had family with him now!

"Coleane! I—" Gen said, before abruptly stopping, as he saw the state his trainer was in.

She was curled up on the floor, tears streaming out of her eyes. Her phone was on the ground, off. And a human plushie was held tightly in her wings, as if she was desperately holding onto it.

"...Coleane?" Gen asked, waddling over with a concerned look on his face. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"...I found out that bad humans exist," Coleane whimpered, holding the human plushie tighter.

"...oh."

Gen knew how much Coleane looked up to humans. She was always raving on about them to him, telling him about how cool they were and how cool he was for being one. Gen...he definitely preferred being human to being a Pokemon, so he could see the appeal. But he didn't want to be treated as being special for it.

But seeing her like this...

Gen waddled over towards the Tropius, and snuggled against her neck, putting his arms around her in a hug. "...i-it's ok. Just...because there's some b-bad humans, doesn't mean there's v-very many bad ones."

"...really?" Coleane asked, the tears slowing a bit.

"...yeah. There's...definitely some bad humans. Like Giovanni, and Lance, and...a few more. But...they're rare. Most humans are good," Gen said, holding onto his friend. "Like me, Wallace, Odette, Jade, your friends...lots of good humans."

"...ok. Thanks, Gen," Coleane said, a tiny smile appearing on her snout.

 

[Hanafuda]

Seb could not sleep that night. He tried to relax by sitting on the bed while watching some Pokémon battles on TV, but the disappearances and everything that was said about them plagued his mind. How was he going to enjoy the vacation now? What if he was next for kidnapping? What if he wasn't able to contact Mom? Would Zack and Jack be able to save him if he went missing?

Meanwhile, standing on the bathroom sink in front of the mirror, Zack was adjusting the feathers of his crest. He pulled two of them down, having them resemble bangs over his eyes. He moved his head lightly side-to-side, letting them sway with his movements. "Hmmm... Maybe just one?" He pulled one of the feather bangs back up, keeping one over his right eye. "Yeah, they'll love this. 'Sides, it's not blindin', so it's a bonus." He moved a wing through his crest and pointed a feather at his reflection as he smiled. "You're still beautiful."

There was the sound of fluttering outside, and the Pidgeotto went to see. Jack flew into the room from the balcony outside, landing smoothly on his nest bed.

"Jack-o, my man!" Zack waved a wing to his friend. "Been doin' more detective work?" He laughed. "No, really, what were ya doin' out there by yerself?"

The Farfetch'd remained silent for a moment. All the stress of the day was catching up to him, so he had to stay calm. "Yeah, I looked around some more."

"Any news about the Drampa and his human?"

"Everyone has their own hypotheses about that. Apparently a yellow psychic was involved in this."

Zack gasped in shock. "Alakazam?"

Jack shook his head. "I doubt it." He looked up in thought. "Then again, his Trainer gives me bad vibes..."

"Was it that lady's Hypno? The one with the portal ring?"

"Nothing's been confirmed nor denied yet."

"Was it a Xatu?" Zack pointed a feather finger at Jack. "That feather has to be an answer!" He looked down in embarrassment. "No, wait, those aren't yellow."

Jack sighed, exasperated. "Nothing here makes sense. Maybe we should just wait for the police to give us leads."

"WHAT!?" Zack screeched in shock, startling both Jack and Seb, the latter turning his attention to the Pidgeotto. "You trust the police to do this!?"

"Zack, they're trying to find the culprit here," the Farfetch'd responded with insistence. "All we can do is help them find any evidence that might pop up."

"No!" Zack swung a wing to the side, glaring. "Have you seen how useless the police can be? They couldn't even stop Team Rocket!"

"That was because they were well-hidden," Jack argued back.

"Yeah! That's why I'm not gonna help the dumbest and weakest people ever! If a fight breaks out here, they're gonna be the first to fall! Let a hero do it! Let me take the villain down!"

"Zack, we don't know who or what we're up against. If you keep being reckless, you'll go down alone."

"Well, if I go down, I still wanna make a big impact before that happens." Zack crossed his wings over his chest. "Let them remember my sacrifice."

"Don't be stupid, Zack," Jack muttered, holding his head into his wings. "What would happen if we lost you? What would Seb do?" He started to tremble a bit as he his some tears behind his wings. "What would I do without you?"

"You can stay with your dumb police force after I'm gone. For all I know, you're as weak and useless as them."

Jack stayed silent at that moment. There was nothing he could have said to make Zack stop. Nothing he said made him realize his wrongness. The Farfetch’d just shook and cried silently. He didn’t need to be mocked for crying. Nor did he have to say anything else to make things worse

“You know what I said is right, right?” Zack averted his gaze. “Yeah, suck it up and cope with—” The Pidgeotto noticed his Trainer at the edge of his vision. He stopped himself when he saw his expression.

Seb was not glaring with a stern gaze, nor did he look disappointed. His head was lowered slightly, and there was fear on his face. He did not understand what his birds said, but judging from the volume of their quacks and warbles and their body language, he assumed they had a heated argument. Infighting. He knew it when he saw it.

Why did it have to happen at night? Why when he was worrying about his safety and everyone else’s? He didn’t need this.

“Oh… crap…” Zack’s wings went limp as he stared in horror. “Seb, I’m so sorr—”

“Quiet,” Seb muttered loud enough.

The Pidgeotto was at a loss for words. Did he actually hurt Seb? He actually hurt his friends?

“I don’t wanna scream. You screamed enough. I-I don’t want anymore of t-that.” Seb slowly raised his hand, pointing at Jack. “Whatever you said t-to Jack, please, take i-it back… and s-say sorry.”

Zack looked back-and-forth between the bed and the tree. Sorry for what? For being right? For so long, the news always displayed ten-year-olds saving the world from rampaging Legends and evil teams whilst the police were shoved into the background and acted as janitors after everything was done. A real hero would go directly to the fight instead of wasting time asking for the police to help—or even worse, join them. And with all the disappearances happening and all the clue-searching, it was starting to feel like a waste of time.

But he counted on Seb to help him be the hero the world needed…

For a moment, he considered flying away. But he wouldn’t be able to save his friends if he wasn’t with them. Seb was his first friend ever since he arrived at Kalos after his home was taken over. He owed this human everything for being let into the team. It didn’t feel right repaying him with an ungrateful abandonment.

For a brief moment, he wanted to slap Jack in the face for ever suggesting that the police could do something. But his Jack-o was his guide in life. As much as he wanted to keep arguing, part of him felt like he’d be going in circles if he did. He wasn’t the smartest, and that was why he also counted on this Farfetch’d to help him, even if he didn’t always listen.

Zack fell to his knees, feeling defeated. He moved a trembling wing over his face, feeling despair fill his will.

“I-I-I-I-I… j-j-just… I just…”

He took a sharp breath. His throat became strained.

“I just wanna be a hero… What should I do now?”

“Just… listen…” Jack managed to mutter despite his soft sobbing. “Apologize… Make it right.”

“Oh… Right… I have to…” Zack mumbled. His mind remembered the faces of the ones he annoyed on the ship. That beautiful shiny Sylveon… The wrathful empress… Her demonic clone… “I… I’m such a disgrace, aren’t I?”

The Pidgeotto laid on his back with a wing grasping his head. His soft cries were a mix of sobs and laughter. He was lost in denial and regret.

“How will I make it up to everyone now? …Ahahaha…”

Jack sniffed and swept away his tears, regaining his composure. He looked at Zack with a stern expression. “Who are you talking about?”

“The lady… and that villain… Ah, no, she’s not the baddy here… Uhuh…”

“Oh, them. They’ll definitely try to kill us on sight. Maybe the Sylveon will be willing to listen to your apology?”

“Yeah… Alm-most forgot… S-Sorry, guys…”

“I’m sorry, too.”

Zack eventually calmed down and gave a long, final sigh. “I feel good. Weird…”

“We’ll be better in the morning,” Jack replied.

“I still won’t be helpin’ the cops… But I’ll still help with the detective work.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m glad we were able to let it out tonight,” Seb whispered as he laid down on the bed. He closed his eyes. “Good night, boys. Tomorrow should be better.”

“Hopefully,” Jack muttered. “Good night, then.” He laid on his nest bed, starting to sleep.

“G’night,” Zack whispered, feeling exhausted after having cried for so long. “So… It all takes not helpin’ for the bad guys to win, eh? …Well… Will a big ‘Sorry’ to y’all be enough help?”

 

[Sinderella]

Odette twirled her empty glock around her index finger, staring up at the skylight mindlessly as her ears fixed on Enora lightly snoring next to her. She found that no matter how much she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. Whether it was from the events of the day, or the talk she had with Steven, or the light squeak of the perch Odile was swinging on as she downed a bag of saltwater taffy, it was hard to tell. Sometimes she really hated being such a light sleeper.

Maybe, subconsciously, she was nervous. She'd brought the stupid gun along with no real intention of ever having to take it out, and yet here she was. Feeling like she might actually need it. If there was a chance other trainers had been taken out of their rooms, who's to say any of them were safe...

Of course, that was why Odile planned to stay up all night. The 'mon didn't need to sleep much anyway, and she was dead set on playing guard. A psychic type would be a walk in the park for her, so she didn't appear phased by the idea in the slightest. It allowed Enora to breathe a sigh of relief, because as much as she had initially wanted to contribute to the watch, she wasn't an Eon cut out for staying up much past midnight. She was out like a light before the clock even struck 1am.

Odette had wished she could have done the same. Sleep might have saved her from her full head. Or, perhaps not. Night terrors were still a thing.

Was she just fucked? Probably.

She caught the gun in her palm and thumbed the trigger. The cartridge for it lay just within arms reach on her night stand, so worst case scenario, she could just reach over and load up. With two very powerful Pokemon surrounding her, she probably wouldn't need to even if a threat did arrive. But, she'd learned the hard way that it was often better safe than sorry.

She groaned. "Fuck me," she said in an almost inaudible whisper.

A full mind didn't make for good sleep. She felt like she needed to drain it out somehow. However, Odette didn't want to rouse Enora, and Odile had talked enough about her feelings today. Clovis and Guzma were most likely sleeping by now, and they were worried about her as it was. She couldn't call any of her 'mon without waking them either, and she didn't want to send Loic on a frenzy.

Noel, maybe? His sleep schedule was a little harder to follow nowadays, so she wasn't sure. Acadia would have been a good choice, but she was never in bed later than 10pm. If Noemie wasn't sleeping, she was out partying. Basille was dealing with choreographing a tour right now, and Claude was like her--not one for the feeling discussion. He'd surely listen, but she didn't want to put him through that right now, no matter how much he insisted. She was in a weird mood as it was, and didn't want to make herself feel worse.

Hau was either sleeping or high off his ass, and neither were good prospects for having a meaningful conversation. Plumeria was also undoubtedly asleep, and Gladion...should be sleeping. Lillie was automatically out. Bless her soul, but she'd pop if she heard even an inkling of the shit going on inside Odette's head.

Vienna and Bernard were options. But they were also very worried about her going on this trip; more than Clovis and Guzma had been. She didn't want to stir that. Marieanne might have been able to keep cool, but she needed her beauty rest...

This would have been so much easier if she didn't care about anybody's sleep, good gods.

Then, she made it to the last name on her roster, and she immediately wondered why she didn't think of him first.

She reached over to the night stand and grabbed her phone, flicking through her passcode and pulling up her messages. She navigated to his name, high up on her list.

Armel.

Are you awake?​

His response came mere minutes later.

Mmhm. Call me.​

It was nice having a sibling; one who didn't ask any questions. He picked up on the first ring.

"You know, Peach, you really shouldn't be up this late," Armel said in a mockingly stern voice.

"Speak for yourself, Apple."

"How's your trip?" he asked. "Does it look just like Alola, like I swore it would?"

Odette rolled her eyes. "No, I actually think it's nicer." In some ways. Not all.

She heard him chuckle, and it sounded like he turned the page of something. "How do you feel? Have you had to partake in any battles yet?"

She pursed her lips as she adjusted her blanket. "One. But with Enora. I haven't had a desire to power Odile up just yet."

"Mm, that's good. You're best to conserve your energy, anyway," he said reassuringly. "But I assume that's not why you wanted to talk."

She exhaled slowly through her teeth. Where could she even start?

"Feeling reminiscent. Mind full."

Armel was silent for a while. No page turning, nothing rustling. Eventually, though, he sighed.

"If I'm being honest, I've found myself in the same boat," he said. "You know how spotty my memory tends to be, and yet...those bits and pieces come around at the worst times."

She nodded hard. She knew he couldn't see it, but she didn't care. "Truly."

Another sigh from him. "Well, we can sit on the line and be uncomfortable together, or I can indulge you in a long and very drawn out dissertation about how much I hate these new sketching pencils I just got."

It took a second, but Odette soon chuckled. "Are you going to remember a whole dissertation?"

"Peach, I might be the amnesiac of our duo, but rest assured that things do stick."

Odette chuckled once more and settled back into her pillow, suddenly feeling a little less alone. "I'll let you talk my ear off about pencils if you let me explain the difference between contemporary and jazz dance for you again."

 

[IFBench]

Hello.

If you're reading this, I was the next one taken. I don't know if I've been kidnapped, or worse.

My name is Gen Taranz. I live in Goldenrod City in Johto in my world. I have a mom and dad and little brother and now an uncle too. If you can get to my world, please tell them I'm sorry, and that I love them with all my heart.

And...if you can somehow rescue me and Coleane...thank you.

Gen stared at the note he wrote for a few seconds, before laying it words-down on the floor, and waddling to his bed.

 

[Inkedust]

The dorms were quiet. So blessedly quiet.

In the corner of the lofty room, Vera was out like a light. Curled protectively around her, like a persian, was a large gengar with a yellow ribbon tied around its right ear. Not far from them, Ayumi was splayed out on the soft bed, taking in every second of provided comfort. It seemed that everyone had gotten up and left for the day but Ayumi stayed right where she was. For one, she was intently trying to make up for all those lost hours of sleep (courtesy of Vera) but more importantly, she had a lot of things to think about.

Dreams.

She'd been having visions again but in the form of dreams. Odd for certain, but this was a different universe, she couldn't expect things to play by the rules she knew. They began the second night, so her chat with Kimiko had to be the trigger. They had to be considering their subject matter.

Her first dream had been about two birds. One black, one white. The black bird was large, imposing, and wrathful; chasing the small, cunning, and spirited white bird through dimensions. She, the black, would rip down any wall or obstacle that stood in the way of her pursuit of He, the white. He had stolen something precious from her. Ayumi could tell just by looking at the black bird's eyes. Though eventually, the black and the white finally met face to face, but Ayumi didn't get to see what happened next. It ended seconds before the black bird's talon's wrapped around the white bird's neck.

<Stars. They are stars.>

The gengar curled up around Vera lifted its head to look at Ayumi.

"What does that have to do with anything, Dusana?" Ayumi groaned, not even bothering to commune properly. It didn't matter. They were alone.

Dusana looked up towards the skybox.

<They belong in our sky.>

Hmm. Now wasn't that interesting. "Well, that might explain why I got a vision of them then. But why only things from our universe specifically?" Ayumi wondered, sitting up and now seriously considering everything she'd seen thus far.

Dusana, in turn, cocked her head to the side, appearing deep in thought.

<All you can see. I think. Methods of communing here very different to communing at home. Can only sync with home and home-beings.>

Right. That made sense but there was something else bothering her about those two...

"Dusana, you know better than anyone else that I only see things when they're important. You say that the two birds are stars, yet I felt a mortal tether to them. Didn't you?"

Dusana frowned. In an instant, she perched herself onto Ayumi's head and shoulders. The sight would've been comical for any witness but Dusana barely weighed anything to begin with. Vera hadn't budged an inch.

<I did. Called them stars because their spirits shone like them.>

"Uh huh. You know more about this than me. Did you notice anything else significant?"

There was a long pause before finally...

<They bore a child. Bright like the sun. Starchild.>

"You mean to say...?"

<I do.>

Ayumi was stunned into silence. That couldn't be right, they were just rumours, surely it couldn't be right and yet...

<Can't do anything now. Starchild's light already snuffed. You know this. Deep down.>

A pang of sadness ran through Ayumi. "Yes... That is... rather unfortunate," she forced out beneath the weight on her chest. "Poor Lifeflame. She must've been truly torn up inside."

<Mhm. Rainbowfeather and Zephyrstreak were too... We're getting sidetracked about something we have no power over. Tell me about other vision.>

Ayumi couldn't help the small - now bittersweet - smile that crept along her features whenever she thought of the names the ghosts gave to the Minstrels but Dusana was right. She hadn't even gotten to the vision she had last night.

"I didn't get much of a glimpse of it but have you seen that strange pokémon that the blonde boy has?" Ayumi asked. "My second vision had a pokémon just like that. Obviously not the same one, it looked a bit different and one of the prongs of that helmet had been broken off, it had to be from our world again." She paused. "It was mostly uninteresting," she admitted, "but again, there was a small thing that managed to catch my attention."

Though Ayumi didn't see it, Dusana tilted her head in question.

"It...no, she spoke of her world - our world - being brought to ruin by some kind of beast. Is such a thing possible? Is that the fate our home is resigned to?"

A pensive frown crossed Dusana's features. Ayumi allowed her to watch the vision through her memories. She looked down at Ayumi and nodded.

<Home marches to doom if helmet-thing from home tells the truth. But march is very slow. Many, many years and descendants will pass before that.>

"How do you know that?"

<Helmet-thing from home's spirit is odd. Like, spirits from past feel old like stale water. Spirits from present feel fresh, like meat from fresh kill. Her spirit feels like seeing a new colour. Unborn. Shouldn't be possible, so must be from future. Feeling very strong, so far future. Just like how very old spirits feel like staler water... Did you see the Silver Beast?>

Ayumi nodded along to Dusana's attempt to explain herself. Dusana herself bobbed along a bit as a result. "How fascinating," Ayumi hummed. "A lot to process, that's for certain. And no. No I did not. I only have the strange pokémon's word." Indeed, it appeared that the only things holding her back from the cusp of a mental breakdown was the fact that the supposed apocalypse was going to happen long after she was gone from the world. It just left her feeling... Well, a bit lost.

<You're thinking too much again.>

Dusana's small huff brought Ayumi back down to reality. "I guess I am," she said with a weak smile. "Anyway, this chat has woken me up quite a bit. We should begin getting ready for the day, don't you agree?"

Dusana trilled as Ayumi went to grab her glasses, though she decided to remain on Ayumi's head as she prepared herself for the day. Vera woke up not long after, pridefully trotting in place for she had a dream where she singlehandedly became Champion of the Indigo League. Nobody could stop her now, not even in the waking world.

 

[Hanafuda]

Seb was laying on the bed, in his pajamas and watching the news network on TV. It was showing clips of a new region that was being prepared to receive Trainers for their journey. There were bits featuring new species of Pokémon, with some narration describing their behavior and biology.

“Aw man, those new starters are so cool,” Seb muttered as he watched, anticipation in his expression. “I love birds, but I leaning more towards Sprigatito. Then again, I wonder if Quaxly will look cooler once it evolves.”

His focus shifted away when he saw Zack and Jack flying into his room from the balcony window, moving gracefully in the air. The Pidgeotto spun a lap before posing with wings stretched behind him, head raised, chest puffed, one leg stretched down and a knee bent forward. The Farfetch’d was behind him, wings stretched to his sides and his leek pointing above his friend.

“Hey!” Seb sat up and smiled at the synchronized movements in awe. “We’re you practicing that together? You were cool, especially with the poses!” He laid back down on the bed. “You can pose more tomorrow ‘cause we gotta sleep for what comes next. We still have a week and a few more days left.” He sighed. “Really wish this vacation was a bit more relaxing, though. I might be losing sleep with this mystery going on.”

As Zack flew onto his nest bed, Jack went to his Trainer’s side and gently put a wing on his head with a worried expression.

“Oh, I forgot how soft your feathers were.” Seb closed his eyes as he relaxed a bit from the touch. “Guess Zack isn’t the only one you’re looking after. I thought I was the one in charge. Well, I can always count on you. Thanks.”

The Farfetch’d chuckled a bit. It was a beautiful feeling, taking care of someone you were close to.

“You know, I’ve always wondered what you guys say. It’d be cool if you could talk like Coleane. No offense.”

Jack just shook his head in reassurance.

“You understand me just fine, but I seriously wish I could understand you.” He turned his head towards his Rotom Phone on the nightstand, opening his eyes to see it plugged into the charger. “I dunno, but you know how text messages work on phones, right?”

The Farfetch’d nodded.

“Well, go nuts with it.” Seb yawned. “So sleepy… Good night.”

Jack unplugged the phone and held it in his wings. He looked at it for a few moments before turning the screen on. There was a notification that he found strange. It was from some kind of chat server. Didn’t Seb say that he had no connection to any contacts? Maybe it was someone important or an extortionist. Either way, he checked to make sure it was safe.

The server he entered had a few familiar names. He saw the surname ‘Papadakis’, which he remembered belonged to Wallace (well, the alternate Wallace, as Seb called him). There was also Hazel. If she was also in that server, maybe…

“Whatcha lookin’ at, Jack-o?” Zack asked, perched onto a branch and looking down to his friend.

“Oh.” Jack turned around with a bit of surprise. “I thought you were asleep?”

“I don’t really feel that tired, honestly, and I wanted to check out what you’re doing.”

“Well, this will sound weird, but I found a chat server with everyone.”

“Everyone? As in everyone who came with us on the boat, right?”

“Yeah. I think this’ll help us catch up on any info we might’ve missed about the case.”

“Really now?” Zack tilted his head in curiosity. “Well, they do say that teamwork makes the dreamwork, eh?” He glided down towards Jack, landing beside him and sitting down. “Let’s check it out.”

The two birds spent the night talking with the others in the chat.

 

[Inkedust]

After her chat with Steven, Ayumi had begun doing some investigations of her own but unfortunately, none had come to any avail. The news of what happened at the cove had reached her ears quickly. The description of the events left her feeling a mixture of horror and disgust.

But within that terrible concoction came an idea. Ayumi could only hope that Manaphy wouldn't turn her away (though considering what happened, she couldn't blame them). She sat there on her bed, resting her head with one hand and tapping the bed with the other as she began to lay out each facet of her plan within her mind's eye.

"Dusana," she called softly.

In an instant, the gengar was seated right before her. She tilted her head at Ayumi.

"There's something I want to do tomorrow but I cannot do it without your approval," Ayumi began. "You know about that strange pokémon at the cove and its unique ability to cause individuals to swap bodies, right?"

<You mean to suggest...>

Ayumi nodded. "I do. I can use your abilities to investigate around the island undetected while you stay with and look after Vera." She gestured to the sleeping bulbasaur who oh so generously slept right in the middle of the bed. "For you, it should be no different to a possession or taking control of a shadow."

<But what about you?>

"I'm sure I can manage," Ayumi replied with a nervous chuckle. "Learning on the job, you know?"

Dusana looked unconvinced at her channeller's reassurances.

<Two conditions. One: You return to me as soon as you feel water-being's power fading. Don't want to find you all by myself from a place you left me in.>

"Of course," Ayumi replied with a nod. "You know I wouldn't dream of bringing any form of harm or distress to you." A pause. "And your other request?"

<You let me teach you on how to ghost.>