Fading Aria [KtK RP Thread: Mission 2]

[System Error]

Mafia? What kind of a game was that? Was it like, cops and robbers except with organized crime? He did like listening to a crime dramas on the radio, but he couldn't imagine pretending to be a member of Team Rocket or something. Or, a cop for that matter.

« That's what would happen in a perfect world, but nah. I doubt the guy even got caught. I don't know how it works in your world, but in mine, it's technically not illegal.» he said, lips curving downward showing exactly what he thought about that.

« Of course, most Breeders try to not have their Pokémon lay more eggs than they can handle, or put them up for adoption, or simply keep them all... but reintroducing Pokémon into the wild is not technically banned. But some Breeders... they just don't care if the Pokémon they are releasing can even handle being in the wild. » he muttered.

"Go figure," he grumbles, lightly tapping a foot. "But yeah, it's absolutely against the law where I live, and I imagine morality laws even in other places." Other worlds? Well, it still sounded like the morality could get them even there! Still. "Only problem might be proving it. Pokemon testimony isn't used that often, mainly since they can lie and you can't charge them with perjury. At least in my world, dunno about yours."

He broke out of his thoughts with a shuddering breath, blinking once.

« ... appreciate it, kid.» he mumbled, trying to calm himself down.

The man's discomfort was obvious. Did something he say somehow bring up bad memories? "Um, you're welcome," he replies, a little more quietly before. "I'm sorry. Did I say--"

His words are interrupted by the arrival of Corbeau, and shortly after that, the announcement that they were heading in. He looks over at the Demon. "Okay, it's time. Let's go."

No response at first. She's too busy practicing, now sprinting around. She's fast too - not among the quickest of Pokemon, but no slouch. Nori has to yell.

"HEY! We're going in!"

She stops and turns to him and nods, charging forward. The boy yelps and quickly follows her inside.

---

Nori nearly trips over the Demon once inside; she had stopped and was currently looking around for any signs of danger. The fact that there didn't seem to be any was unnerving, a sign that her trainer shared sentiment in.

"A garden," he monotonously quips. "Just like--"

That was irrelevant! He grits his teeth, though his anguish from bad memories of his own still shows in his expression. He'd think he was dealing with a Grass-type with this sort of environment. He was expecting like a fancy dance hall! But if it was anything like that garden, and the place before...

With a jump, he twirls around and turns to the group. Any doubt or hesitation he had before is gone. "Stay on your guard, everyone," he says with a pump of his fists. "It's WAY too quiet here. The last time I was in one of these places, the local Pokemon - the ones that were still around - had also gone crazy. Be ready for anything at any time."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Maybe that human – the houndoom if I heard right – crossed through a world that does before arriving here?

"Yes, that makes the most sense to me! He caught a bad connection on the way here. Makes a lot more sense than this dimension singling out a single person."

"I mean, we could also just ask our hosts about these 'rules'," Rachel commented before readdressing Mel with a smirk. "But taking the easy way out wouldn't make this nearly as fun."

That got a smirk out of Melody. She really appreciated the ability to both understand and abide by the rules of the game. In a sense she deserved to figure it out at some point. While she said nothing, the fact she didn't want to turn to their hosts either might be enough to confirm that, yes, the game was afoot.

"Are you a Ditto?"

And then Melody's smirk disappeared. She was shaken. A split second of visible upset bled through her facade before she covered it over with laughter. After realizing she was probably laughing too hard at that remark, she seized full control of the body's ability to laugh and put a stop to it.

"I am absolutely not a Ditto. They're normal type, so they still wouldn't have my psychic abilities if I became one, and I probably wouldn't remember my whole life anymore either. They're being given a physical nervous system to store their memories and personality, which is a critical design flaw for a species that's meant to constantly be changing its entire physiology and nervous system. It's an insane species that should never have been engineered in the first place. You can tell I'm not one of them because I'm functional."

Technically, Melody didn't know much at all about Ditto, not yet. They were too new, nobody knew what the lifespan of an Ditto would look like. But she did know that it was crafted by a bunch of people who'd failed to correctly understand and replicate their vessel-possessive relationship with her body. But there was no way that Ditto would end well as a species.

"!doog kcuL! !doog kcuL!" Kupara inclined her head. "Thank you all for your help! I'll be waiting for your return. Ah, if only I could accompany you. But you'll have Clink as your guide."

Ah, to be saved by the bell. Surely there would be more discussion of her and what she was on the other side of the portal, but this would at least interrupt her little indiscretion regarding Ditto.

"Oh! I guess we should be off, then."

She did wait to give the others the courtesy of reaction before departing, because it would look too incriminating to storm off without allowing a response. She'd let the mask slip for a moment there, but it still wasn't amateur hour.

 

[MegaAbsolOfDespair]

Volo looked around in the new world, eagerly stating "Whoa! This is awesome! Where do we go next?"

 

[Nekodatta]

The man's discomfort was obvious. Did something he say somehow bring up bad memories? "Um, you're welcome," he replies, a little more quietly before. "I'm sorry. Did I say--"

Raiki briefly shook his head, just once, trying to dismiss the other's concern.
« No need to worry. It's nothing important right now.» he answered.

When he was in earshot of his fellow suited man, he proffered a polite nod as greeting. "Didn't think I'd see another chain smoker in a place like this. They'd do well to install an ash tray somewhere."

He turned his head towards the newcomer, sizing him up. He had to turn his head slightly more than usual, to compensate for his blind side.

« ... eh, probably not worth the effort, considering...» he said, gesturing with his now free hand to the other people and Pokémon present.
« They probably would go unused most of the time anyway. »

He answered the man's nod with a slight bow, just barely moving his head, stiffer than the one he had given to Nori.
Polite enough to still be recognized as the same gesture.
But not so low as to show too much deference.

« Raiki Hirose. With who do I have the pleasure of speaking...?»

All the meanwhile, he was practically scanning the man up and down. His gaze, his posture, the way he acted... this was a man used to being respected.
And feared.

And also quite attractive, but that wasn't the point -

They were interrupted by the Klefki's announcement that they were ready to depart.
Right. They were here for the mission, after all. He had to focus.

He waited for the locked keyhold to completely open, then turned briefly towards Inari, searching for the Vulpix. The fox was sitting quietly near Demon, and trotted across the door before Raiki could call out to him.
He sighed and bit back a small curse, muttering to himself as he followed his Pokémon.

What they came across on the other side was... surprisingly normal looking.

He had no idea what he was expecting, but not a completely nice garden that looked like it belonged to some obnoxious rich bastard.

« .... uh. »

So... Meloetta had to be nearby. Somewhere. He nodded at Nori's advice.

Local Pokémon gone crazy. Noted. Wait-

« It *is* way too quiet. » he muttered.

Didn't they just say that Meloetta was like the patron goddess of singing and dancing or something on those lines?

This felt... wrong. Was that what they meant by the legendaries becoming "corrupted"?

« Inari, stay close-»

The Vulpix just hissed in response.

And he had been ignored. Of course.

He raised one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
He missed his team. Anyone else would have been better. Literally anyone else.

« ... all right. Any idea where to go?» he asked, eyeing the maze with suspicion.
---
Inari, meanwhile, had his gaze focused on some of the shadows flitting between the bushes. In full hunting mode, the small fox crept forward, tails held high so they wouldn't brush against the ground and make any noise.

His eyes moved back and forth, trying to track the shadow's movements, focusing on the closest and trying to understand what it was. Another Pokémon?
Should he attack first?
His small predator instincts told him yes.
Caution told him no, wait first.

The cautious side won this time.

 

[Negrek]

His eyes moved back and forth, trying to track the shadow's movements, focusing on the closest and trying to understand what it was. Another Pokémon?
Should he attack first?
His small predator instincts told him yes.
Caution told him no, wait first.

The cautious side won this time.

For an accomplished predator like Inari, it wouldn't be too hard to identify the darting shapes. They were bird pokémon, definitely; if Inari was familiar with the species, he'd be able to recognize them as squawkabilly. Rather than preparing to attack, the flock appeared to be fleeing from the newcomers.

 

[ShiniGojira]

And then Melody's smirk disappeared. She was shaken. A split second of visible upset bled through her facade before she covered it over with laughter. After realizing she was probably laughing too hard at that remark, she seized full control of the body's ability to laugh and put a stop to it.

"I am absolutely not a Ditto. They're normal type, so they still wouldn't have my psychic abilities if I became one, and I probably wouldn't remember my whole life anymore either. They're being given a physical nervous system to store their memories and personality, which is a critical design flaw for a species that's meant to constantly be changing its entire physiology and nervous system. It's an insane species that should never have been engineered in the first place. You can tell I'm not one of them because I'm functional."

Technically, Melody didn't know much at all about Ditto, not yet. They were too new, nobody knew what the lifespan of an Ditto would look like. But she did know that it was crafted by a bunch of people who'd failed to correctly understand and replicate their vessel-possessive relationship with her body. But there was no way that Ditto would end well as a species.

The laughter was forced, anyone who heard it would easily guess it at that.

Rachel chewed on her lips. She hadn't imagined Mel's expression there, did she? She seemed genuinely upset at the notion of being a Ditto and the rant that subsequently occurred... The woman had all but confirmed she was a Pokémon, one that could transform just like a Ditto but... not at the same time. What other Pokémon could transform aside from... Mew?

Oh crap. She'd been harassing and trading banter with a fricking Mew and Rachel had just upset her.

She opened her mouth to apologise. She didn't mean to–

!doog kcuL! !doog kcuL!" Kupara inclined her head. "Thank you all for your help! I'll be waiting for your return. Ah, if only I could accompany you. But you'll have Clink as your guide."

And then the bell has rung and everyone began moving through the portal.

Luni teleported to Rachel's side, her trainer's worry and distress having significantly magnified since the last time she saw her.

"... mn it, what's wrong with me? Why does this always happen?"

"Are you okay?" came the telepathic question. A tiny hand placed on the panicking girl's leg.

The girl cursed, shaking her head at the familiar touch. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

She evidently wasn't. Her emotions were a sour cocktail of anxiety and panic before a layer of near authentic cool froze over them.

Rachel stood straighter, expression neutral. "Let's just go and get this over with."

A frown graced Luni's face but she didn't press, following as they entered the portal.

For an accomplished predator like Inari, it wouldn't be too hard to identify the darting shapes. They were bird pokémon, definitely; if Inari was familiar with the species, he'd be able to recognize them as squawkabilly. Rather than preparing to attack, the flock appeared to be fleeing from the newcomers.

The place was a pretty one.

Fancy, clean and pristine. On a normal day, Rachel would appreciate the beauty of such an esteemed garden. On a mission to save a corrupted Legend, however, she was on edge when she saw the shadows flee from them. Her eyes trailing back to the group, briefly pausing on Mel before continuing on.

She glanced down at the Ralts' beside her. "Hey, Luni. Can you get a hold of their emotions? I wanna know if they're running away because they're scared or if they're leading us to a trap."

 

[Negrek]

She glanced down at the Ralts' beside her. "Hey, Luni. Can you get a hold of their emotions? I wanna know if they're running away because they're scared or if they're leading us to a trap."

The squawkabilly's emotions were neither subtle nor complex: they felt strongly of fear.

The flock flew up into a tall line of manicured conifers and disappeared into the needles. Quietly--which was quite unusual for squawkabilly.

The whole garden was quiet, although waiting, listening closely for a few minutes, it would be possible to discern other small noises. Rustling in the bushes, or the occasional whisper from one of the other garden paths. There were other pokémon nearby, although they did not seem eager to engage with the newcomers, either to welcome them or to try and drive them off.

 

[System Error]

The Demon stayed alert, watching them the whole time from sight to retreat. She did not know what these birds were, but emotions were a kind of universal language. She could sense their fear; that was not a power inherent to her species, but the instinct inside her.

"Good, run. Don't get in our way," she growled. Dealing with small fry who stood no chance was never any fun. She turned to Nori. "What's the plan?"

---

An expectant look. Nori could recognize that much. He in turn looks to the group. No Pokemon with any sort of wings. "It'd be easy to scout if anyone could fly," he muses. It'd give away their position, sure, but it'd work both ways. "I guess we should get moving and see what we can find. We should--" Split up? That could be dangerous. Stick together? Might also pose problems, and they'd cover less ground. So what was left? "Look around here first and see if we can find any clues?" A nod, a confident one. It sounded reasonable when he said it aloud. "Yeah."

He motioning for the Demon to stick close to him and starts off by checking some of the pathways leading out - from a safe distance. Maybe years of listening to Crime By Starlight and what he learned in Officials' class would be useful here. The Demon helps, trying to sniff out anything unusual.

 

[Hanafuda]

The whole garden was quiet, although waiting, listening closely for a few minutes, it would be possible to discern other small noises. Rustling in the bushes, or the occasional whisper from one of the other garden paths. There were other pokémon nearby, although they did not seem eager to engage with the newcomers, either to welcome them or to try and drive them off.

Joey became confused after a while. Well, he was starting to get bored, just standing in the middle of some rich bozo's mansion, but one faint noise got his attention. He tried to look to where the source could have been. "Huh? Anyone heard that? Or just me?" Could have also been a trap lying in wait after the gang moved to whatever path they took first.

"I guess we should get moving and see what we can find. We should--"

He pointed at Nori with a glare. "I swear, if you say split up--"

"Look around here first and see if we can find any clues."

He calmed down, his arm flopping down. "Oh. Yeah, smart." He started to look around with squinted eyes. "Clues, clues, clues... Whatcha hidin', you freaky maze?"

 

[Eal Tides]

Para, an orange, crablike pokemon with mushrooms growing out of its back, chittered and climbed upon on Tomomichi's shoulder. The boy looked around the garden as he stood next to a stone raikou. "Whoa! This place is so cool!" he said.

The giant ting-lu standing next to the boy hmmed, thinking dark-type thoughts.

A zoroark with dark fur and a striking orange mane came running towards the group. "Sorry... about that..." she huffed. "I just got done running a game of my own in some other realm. Had to wave everyone off and... explain myself a little." As it turned out, tricking people into believing they're trapped with no escape to make them play a game with you wasn't exactly the greatest way of making new friends.

"OH, LOVELY. MY FRIEND'S SECOND GREAT AUNT'S SECOND'S UNCLE'S GRANDDAUGHTER TOLD A STORY OF THE CLOCKTOWERS. ALL THESE 'and then the softly twinkling red emera was torn from the accused's wrist, rippling past fur and skin'. A LOT OF 'PRETENDING TO BE INNOCENT AND GRAND BETRAYALS IN THE NIGHT' AND WHATNOT."

The squawkabillies flapped into the sky. Para crawled behind Tomomichi's neck, scared of the flying type pokemon. "What were they so afraid of?" the human boy asked nervously.

 

[Mirage]

...Well, whatever he expected after following the portal, it surely wasn't this. Fennel frowned - a boring old garden??? All that was missing was a Snorlax lazing under a tree, or a group of elderly Pokemon doing those weird slow motion stretches they were always obsessed with. Wouldn't a legend want something a little more... exciting?

A stone sculpture loomed to the left, a huge four legged beast that he didn't recognize. The statues were cool, though.

A voice came from his left - it was from one of those "Trainers", one with blond hair, and was 3 or 4 times Fennel's height. He put his paws up to his mouth:

"Hey!" he called out. "Wanna try following one of these paths and see what we find?" He pointed to one such path with his paw.

@MegaAbsolOfDespair

 

[Inkedust]

"I mean, we could also just ask our hosts about these 'rules'," Rachel commented before readdressing Mel with a smirk. "But taking the easy way out wouldn't make this nearly as fun."

At least take them out to lunch first, geez, Zevya thought. She still offered the blonde human girl a friendly smile. "Hey, I can appreciate someone who can have a little fun." Although... She felt her journal jostle in her mane. "But as someone who likes to know as much as possible about a person or place, sometimes the path of least resistance is the way to go." She winked. "Get too caught up in the other details otherwise."

"Yes, that makes the most sense to me! He caught a bad connection on the way here. Makes a lot more sense than this dimension singling out a single person."

...

"I am absolutely not a Ditto. They're normal type, so they still wouldn't have my psychic abilities if I became one, and I probably wouldn't remember my whole life anymore either. They're being given a physical nervous system to store their memories and personality, which is a critical design flaw for a species that's meant to constantly be changing its entire physiology and nervous system. It's an insane species that should never have been engineered in the first place. You can tell I'm not one of them because I'm functional."

Mel's defensiveness caught Zevya off-guard. Oh that human struck a nerve and the zoroark wasn't sure what to say to that. Jumping straight into questioning Mel felt like prying, and Zevya had just met them. Though if Mel was a pokémon in disguise, why hide themself? Humans didn't do anything aside from bossing others around. Being a pokémon was a lot more fun.

"Pfft," she interrupted, trying to break the tension. "Human, ditto, zoroark; who cares? We're all from different universes anyway, it's not going to matter once all of this is said and done." Things like this normally came to light in their own time. Why force it?

"Yeah, well, wouldn't be surprised," Ichiro muttered. He then spoke up louder so the ones that had kept his ears burning for a while now could hear him. "My own question is: does it matter that the pattern is inconsistent? We're in some crazy other dimension full of keys, being enlisted to un-corrupt a pokémon of myth. I have turned into a dog. I'd just go with the flow if I were you and not sweat the small stuff."

...Case in point.

Zevya snapped her claws and made finger guns towards the now-houndoom. "See?" She turned to Mel and the blonde girl. "That's the spirit."

"OH, LOVELY. MY FRIEND'S SECOND GREAT AUNT'S SECOND'S UNCLE'S GRANDDAUGHTER TOLD A STORY OF THE CLOCKTOWERS. ALL THESE 'and then the softly twinkling red emera was torn from the accused's wrist, rippling past fur and skin'. A LOT OF 'PRETENDING TO BE INNOCENT AND GRAND BETRAYALS IN THE NIGHT' AND WHATNOT."

Zevya tilted her head at the Ting-Lu (what were the odds! and that kid was its trainer???). That was... Too specific. Had that friend's second great aunt's second uncle's granddaughter been apart of her game? She opened her mouth to ask but then—

The sight that greeted the group on the far side of the portal was hardly sinister: a well-groomed garden, with neat flowerbeds and raked gravel paths that wound between dense rows of hedges, forming a kind of maze. Statues and fountains depicting legendary pokémon stood here and there amidst the plants.

All in all the atmosphere was calm, giving the impression of a warm spring day. There was no sound but the gentle patter of water into the bowls of the fountains. Presumably Meloetta was somewhere nearby, or Clink's portal wouldn't have brought them there, but there was no clear sign of the legend. Or of any other life, for that matter, save for a few shadows flitting between the bushes.

No time for that! The scene changed!

Zevya immediately fished her journal out of her mane and began sketching the sight before her (as well as each member of their group – she'd pick up their names quickly like this) before stepping forwards to investigate. If those whispers were anything to go by, the pokémon here could talk. Maybe they could shed some more light on what was going on or where to look.

"Heeeeey!" she called to the shadows. "Mind if we ask you for some directions? We won't bite, promise!"

 

[MegaAbsolOfDespair]

A stone sculpture loomed to the left, a huge four legged beast that he didn't recognize. The statues were cool, though.

A voice came from his left - it was from one of those "Trainers", one with blond hair, and was 3 or 4 times Fennel's height. He put his paws up to his mouth:

"Hey!" he called out. "Wanna try following one of these paths and see what we find?" He pointed to one such path with his paw.

"For sure! Which one are we gonna follow? I'll let you choose if you want!" Volo said, looking down at the small pokemon. While he hadn't seen a pokemon like that back in Hisui, he still noticed the small pokemon was very cute. He still had to get used to the fact the pokemon talked, though. Either way, it was time to explore. "Let's go!"

 

[ShiniGojira]

Yeah, well, wouldn't be surprised," Ichiro muttered. He then spoke up louder so the ones that had kept his ears burning for a while now could hear him. "My own question is: does it matter that the pattern is inconsistent? We're in some crazy other dimension full of keys, being enlisted to un-corrupt a pokémon of myth. I have turned into a dog. I'd just go with the flow if I were you and not sweat the small stuff."

Pfft," she interrupted, trying to break the tension. "Human, ditto, zoroark; who cares? We're all from different universes anyway, it's not going to matter once all of this is said and done." Things like this normally came to light in their own time. Why force it?

Well, yeah, of course the inconsistency didn't matter. Rachel just wanted to satisfy her curiosity, and at first, it was just exactly that, simple curiosity that only devolved into further questioning when this whole thing got super interesting.

It was supposed to be all in good fun. She didn't mean to upset Mel like that. Rachel was only this gloomy because that sudden defensiveness reminded her the fight she had with her sister before that day...

She shook her head. No time to cry about the past. She had to move on.

The squawkabilly's emotions were neither subtle nor complex: they felt strongly of fear.

The flock flew up into a tall line of manicured conifers and disappeared into the needles. Quietly--which was quite unusual for squawkabilly.

The whole garden was quiet, although waiting, listening closely for a few minutes, it would be possible to discern other small noises. Rustling in the bushes, or the occasional whisper from one of the other garden paths. There were other pokémon nearby, although they did not seem eager to engage with the newcomers, either to welcome them or to try and drive them off.

Luni briefed Rachel about their emotions, cutting the girl out of her thoughts.

"Fear? They're completely terrified of us, huh?" Rachel quirked a brow, rubbing her chin.

Luni nodded.

Rachel hummed in thought. Why would that be the case?

The Minccino and that kid were choosing a path to go down. Perhaps she should pick one too?

Though she probably shouldn't do it alone, who knew what kind of surprises awaited them.

"Hey, anyone wanna come with me to go down the paths? Splitting up might let us go through this place quicker and Luni knows Teleport so if you're in trouble, I can have her go to you in a jiffy."

No time for that! The scene changed!

Zevya immediately fished her journal out of her mane and began sketching the sight before her (as well as each member of their group – she'd pick up their names quickly like this) before stepping forwards to investigate. If those whispers were anything to go by, the pokémon here could talk. Maybe they could shed some more light on what was going on or where to look.

"Heeeeey!" she called to the shadows. "Mind if we ask you for some directions? We won't bite, promise!"

While Rachel waited, Luni stepped forward, following up on the Zoroark. The contrast between the big black fox and small white-green humanoid might be ridiculous enough to get through their fear.

"Hiya!" She waved her hand and did a little pose to accentuate her cuteness. "We'll be reaaally grateful if you could tell us what's going on and why you're all so scared. I promise we're only here to help."

 

[Hanafuda]

"Hey, anyone wanna come with me to go down the paths? Splitting up might let us go through this place quicker and Luni knows Teleport so if you're in trouble, I can have her go to you in a jiffy."

"Do we really have to split up?" Joey asked. He couldn't help but be annoyed by that suggestion. He groaned. "Sure, why not? But we better do the buddy system."

Last thing he wanted was to get caught alone or trip into a death trap in the environment. But that was also likely to happen to one of these guys.

Okay, who was the loneliest among them? He looked around and locked his gaze at the Houndoom, pointing at him. "Yo. Wanna come with?"

@canisaries

 

[Negrek]

He calmed down, his arm flopping down. "Oh. Yeah, smart." He started to look around with squinted eyes. "Clues, clues, clues... Whatcha hidin', you freaky maze?"

There wasn't a great deal more to see nearby that the group hadn't already observed. A little farther down the path the group had arrived on, the garden opened up into a large central area with tiered stone seats arranged in a ring around a central statue, perhaps the largest in the garden. It depicted meloetta in both of their forms, posed as if performing for an invisible audience in the empty seats.

"Hey!" he called out. "Wanna try following one of these paths and see what we find?" He pointed to one such path with his paw.

"For sure! Which one are we gonna follow? I'll let you choose if you want!" Volo said, looking down at the small pokemon. While he hadn't seen a pokemon like that back in Hisui, he still noticed the small pokemon was very cute. He still had to get used to the fact the pokemon talked, though. Either way, it was time to explore. "Let's go!"

"Hey, anyone wanna come with me to go down the paths? Splitting up might let us go through this place quicker and Luni knows Teleport so if you're in trouble, I can have her go to you in a jiffy."

Even after splitting up, it would take a few minutes to canvas the garden. It was large, with a number of winding paths and hidden crannies. The search party would find nothing out of the ordinary, though: plants, statues, and the paths themselves seemed normal enough. The large Meloetta statue at the center was the most noteworthy.

The garden as a whole was surrounded by a wall of tall, dense hedges, although even taller trees could be seen beyond. Three paths led out from the garden: one traveling north, one east, and one west. All disappeared into the deep forest beyond.

The garden's pokémon continued to avoid the group while they searched, although here and there a flash of feathers or scales or carapace could be seen.

While Rachel waited, Luni stepped forward, following up on the Zoroark. The contrast between the big black fox and small white-green humanoid might be ridiculous enough to get through their fear.

"Hiya!" She waved her hand and did a little pose to accentuate her cuteness. "We'll be reaaally grateful if you could tell us what's going on and why you're all so scared. I promise we're only here to help."

Zevya immediately fished her journal out of her mane and began sketching the sight before her (as well as each member of their group – she'd pick up their names quickly like this) before stepping forwards to investigate. If those whispers were anything to go by, the pokémon here could talk. Maybe they could shed some more light on what was going on or where to look.

"Heeeeey!" she called to the shadows. "Mind if we ask you for some directions? We won't bite, promise!"

The pokémon were clearly reluctant to engage with the strangers, and calling out made a fair number of them disappear further into the hedges and flowerbeds, realizing they'd been spotted.

A few were bolder, though, and slowly a group began to gather around the newcomers. They hung back just out of sight, eyes glittering from the shadows of leaves and around the base of fountains. It looked like one or two were working up the courage to come forward...

"OH, LOVELY. MY FRIEND'S SECOND GREAT AUNT'S SECOND'S UNCLE'S GRANDDAUGHTER TOLD A STORY OF THE CLOCKTOWERS. ALL THESE 'and then the softly twinkling red emera was torn from the accused's wrist, rippling past fur and skin'. A LOT OF 'PRETENDING TO BE INNOCENT AND GRAND BETRAYALS IN THE NIGHT' AND WHATNOT."

...until the ting-lu's stentorian voice sent them to scattering in a panic. While it seemed like the noise had been enough to scare most of the pokémon off completely, after a few seconds, one came creeping back.

A kricketot pushed his way out of a berry bush to stand on the path in front of the group. His antennae danced nervously, but the look he gave them all was stern. Shhh! Keep quiet! he hissed in a low voice.

 

[canisaries]

"Do we really have to split up?" Joey asked. He couldn't help but be annoyed by that suggestion. He groaned. "Sure, why not? But we better do the buddy system."

Last thing he wanted was to get caught alone or trip into a death trap in the environment. But that was also likely to happen to one of these guys.

Okay, who was the loneliest among them? He looked around and locked his gaze at the Houndoom, pointing at him. "Yo. Wanna come with?"

Ichiro looked the floatzel up and down. "Well, I guess you can cover most of my weaknesses," he then said. "Let's go."

Even after splitting up, it would take a few minutes to canvas the garden. It was large, with a number of winding paths and hidden crannies. The search party would find nothing out of the ordinary, though: plants, statues, and the paths themselves seemed normal enough. The large Meloetta statue at the center was the most noteworthy.

Well, that was pointless, thought Ichiro to himself as he arrived at the center.

...until the ting-lu's stentorian voice sent them to scattering in a panic. While it seemed like the noise had been enough to scare most of the pokémon off completely, after a few seconds, one came creeping back.

A kricketot pushed his way out of a berry bush to stand on the path in front of the group. His antennae danced nervously, but the look he gave them all was stern. Shhh! Keep quiet! he hissed in a low voice.

Ichiro took a step forward, crouched to make himself a bit smaller. "Why do we need to be quiet?" he asked, just loud enough for the insect to hear him.

 

[Hanafuda]

"OH, LOVELY. MY FRIEND'S SECOND GREAT AUNT'S SECOND'S UNCLE'S GRANDDAUGHTER TOLD A STORY OF THE CLOCKTOWERS. ALL THESE 'and then the softly twinkling red emera was torn from the accused's wrist, rippling past fur and skin'. A LOT OF 'PRETENDING TO BE INNOCENT AND GRAND BETRAYALS IN THE NIGHT' AND WHATNOT."

Joey put his hands on his face. The sigh of disbelief that he let out was heavy. Soon after letting that out, he clapped his hands together and closed his eyes for a moment. He had to relax...

Looking at the big Pokémon, whatever they are, with his hands signaled at them, he spoke with a stern tone and a low volume. "You know they can hear us, right?"

The calm did not last long, though, since even without the Pokémon in the background fleeing and the Kricketot demanding silence, that loud voice was enough for the Floatzel to snap.

"WE NEED TO BE QUIET!"

 

[Negrek]

"WE NEED TO BE QUIET!"

The kricketot jumped in surprise at Jo-Jo's shout. The bug gave the floatzel a reproachful look...

Ichiro took a step forward, crouched to make himself a bit smaller. "Why do we need to be quiet?" he asked, just loud enough for the insect to hear him.

...but answered Ichiro's question anyway. If we're loud, Meloetta may never want to come back.