Skill Swap Shop

[unrepentantAuthor]

Laura nodded, taking in everything Lourine said.

"I wrote off competition already, pretty much. We're all from different worlds and as far as I know we're not competing for any prize, so what would be the point? Unless I'm wrong about that, I guess." She shook her head. "Plus, this person has to go to the trouble of keeping the victims somewhere, short of fucking disintegrating them, or something. That's a serious cost to remove someone from the Festival, surely they're getting something really important to them from this..."

Malachai had been watching Lourine's expression carefully through narrowed eyes.

<What was it that you did, girl?> he asked. <Did you succeed, or fail?>

Laura winced at Mal being Mal, but she let the question stand. "For what it's worth, I'm not done with my shady organisation yet," she added, unhappily. "Just getting started, really."

 

[Flyg0n]

Laura nodded, taking in everything Lourine said.

"I wrote off competition already, pretty much. We're all from different worlds and as far as I know we're not competing for any prize, so what would be the point? Unless I'm wrong about that, I guess." She shook her head. "Plus, this person has to go to the trouble of keeping the victims somewhere, short of fucking disintegrating them, or something. That's a serious cost to remove someone from the Festival, surely they're getting something really important to them from this..."

Malachai had been watching Lourine's expression carefully through narrowed eyes.

<What was it that you did, girl?> he asked. <Did you succeed, or fail?>

Laura winced at Mal being Mal, but she let the question stand. "For what it's worth, I'm not done with my shady organisation yet," she added, unhappily. "Just getting started, really."

"Let's just say I've had some experience tackling shady organizations in my world." She kept an even gaze on Malachai. "In the end I succeeded."

Which was all she felt like saying. Most people didn't take kindly to her when they recognized her, and she'd been burned more than enough by being 'honest'. Besides, this young girl and her Noivern seemed decent.

At Laura's words, Azar barked sharply and snorted a plume of smoke. He stamped his paw adamantly. Even without pokesign the message was clear: Dont give up. Crush them.

"Z moves. Mega evolution. Trainers and their pokemon. Could that be tied to why they were taken?

"And furthermore I was wondering... If a pokemon did do this... Could it be someone the missing trainers would know? Maybe they were caught off guard somehow? It could help explain things."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Malachai seemed satisfied with the answer. He snorted lightly, and turned his attention back to the exchange of ideas.

Laura nodded at Lourine's latest point. "I've been thinking it was a pokémon both powerful and stealthy, or perhaps very fast, to get the jump on people. But if the element of surprise was obtained through trust, that broadens things."

She rubbed at her chin in consternation. "Have you considered the mythical pokémon reputedly on this island? Apparently some folks met Manaphy peacefully enough, but maybe one of them has a bone to pick with certain trainers. They'd have both power and a degree of trust, I guess. And I've heard mythic 'mon often have some kind of illusory power, a glamour or invisibility of some kind, so you wouldn't see them coming."

PSSHHHDT!

Laura yelped and staggered back into Malachai's outstretched wing as icy water smacked her in the head.

"Didn't ssee that coming, didja, Laurra?" jeered a familiar navy-blue inteleon from atop the Swap Shop.

<Infantile reprobate,> snapped Malachai, growling.

"Fuck off, Sleet," groaned Laura, wiping chill water from her hair and cheek. "What the fuck was that for?"

The inteleon chuckled nastily. "Not payin' 'nuff attention," she hissed. "Badguy coulda murrrrd'rrrd ya. Sstay sharrp. Idiot."

Sleet dropped straight down from the rooftop and blew Lourine a kiss with a smug grin. "Guessss what Ssleet found out while you werre talkin'?"

...Huh? Sleet apparently used Foresight in the Natural Cure Infirmary...?

@Flyg0n

 

[Flyg0n]

Sleet sneakily snooped secretively through the Infirmary! Sleet found...!

The infirmary had of course been a whirlwind of activity ever since Manaphy's ill fated encounter with the islands humans. But if there was one thing Sleet knew how to do it was being discreet.

A great deal of poking and prodding in the inside and outside, there's much to see. Neat cabinets stocked with every remedy and herb imaginable, cures for poisons, and so on. Out back, a perfectly cared for herb garden. And beyond the herb garden... A sweet scented, tenderly kept berry grove.

Berries of every color can be found. It seems someone had helped themselves to some tasty pinkish red berries among some others. Perhaps wild pokemon or nurse Joy. It's hard to tell, no footprints can be left in the plush grass.

Everything seems normal, right?

---

Lourine spun towards the source of the attack as Laura was struck. Azar growled at the sudden appearance of a new pokemon, but relaxed as it became evident the attack wasn't malicious.

"I was thinking maybe it was some kind of mythical," Lourine said finally. "It could explain why it was strong..." she let her thought linger and turned instead to Sleet, realizing that not only was it different than the Inteleon she was used to, but it was able to speak a human tongue. Just what kind of pokemon did this strange girl associate with??

She shook off the thought. There'd be time for pleasantries later. "What did you find?" she asked promptly.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Sleet chuckled in her guttural, cackling way, glad at least that this human wanted to know what she'd discovered, even if she hadn't gotten a rise out of her. She signed deftly to Laura to explain her findings, impatient to communicate swiftly.

Laura nodded, and bit her lip, then conveyed it back to Lourine.

"Nothing definite, unfortunately," she noted, to which Sleet pulled a face. "But I guess it's possible the kidnapper used pharmaceuticals or berries to incapacitate the victims rather than a move, and my gut tells me no footprints means a lightweight or airborne pokémon took those berries. I know some berries can make a pokémon disoriented and confused, but it still feels like a stretch."

<It's information,> conceded Malachai, with a dissatisfied rumble. <Just not actionable information.>

Sleet folded her arms and turned up her snout at the lukewarm reception to her intel.

 

[Flyg0n]

Berries, huh? "Well a lot of mythical pokemon are small or can levitate... Could be them," Lourine mused. "It sort of aligns with what we've been discussing."

Azar nudged her side meaningfully. She nodded slowly. "Although it possible the berries are for something else? Though I can't imagine what... Still, I suppose that's helpful for now. Thank you, Laura. And Sleet. I have a feeling this could help bring us just a little closer to finding out what happened."

She offered a hand to shake, and a warm smile.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Laura gladly took Lourine's hand and did her best to maintain eye contact and shake a normal amount, like a regular person.

<Your number,> prompted Malachai.

"Oh, right."

Laura handed the other girl a strip of notepad paper with her own number on it, "In case we find out anything more."

She wished Lourine and Azar good luck, recalled Sleet, and climbed back aboard Malachai to depart. The meeting hadn't put them hot on anyone's trail, but she'd found another ally she was willing to trust, and in this weird fucking situation, that was a great comfort.

<><><><><>​

 

[Flyg0n]

Wallace and Victoria used Foresight! They investigated the TM shelf!

The brightly lit shelves were stocked to the brim with perfectly organized shelves of TMs. At first glance, everything appears meticulously kept and undisturbed. Whoever was in charge of stocking certainly did an impeccable job.

Yet despite Wallace's sleepy brain, or perhaps thanks to it, they would notice something. At least one of the TM's was out of place. Focus Blast. It was the reusable kind but it looked as if it had been taken off the shelf and very carefully put back, except the case wasn't quite snapped fully shut. Someone had used it recently it seemed... Careful examination of the TM for Flash would also show that it seems to have been used. It seemed whoever used them wanted to make sure no one noticed they'd been taken.

 

[Hanafuda]

Seb walked around the shop, Zack staying close behind him. He looked throughout the different items on sale--TMs, medicine... "There has to be a part with Mega Stones around here," he muttered.

Now that the Pidgeot was the biggest of the three, Jack was riding on his friend's shoulder, leek held close.

 

[IFBench]

Coleane was looking to see if the shop had any Wonder Orbs, when she noticed the birds and their human. She raised a wing in greeting, and said, "Hiya!"

 

[Hanafuda]

They all turned around almost immediately after hearing the greeting, smiling at the familiar face.

"Coleane! Hi!" Seb waved back and adjusted his glasses. "Glad you're doing fine today."

"Yo!" Zack smirked and flexed a wing, showing off his muscles. "Notice anythin' different?"

"Good morning," Jack said, waving his leek briefly. "Looking for something, too?"

 

[IFBench]

The Tropius smiled, and said, "Congratulations on evolving!" with a flap of her wings.

"I'm here looking for Wonder Orbs. They didn't have any in the human world, but maybe there's some here!" she said.

 

[Hanafuda]

"Never heard of those," Jack replied, rubbing his beak in thought.

"Well, I'm just looking for a Pidgeotite myself," Seb said, looking around one more time. "Hope there is one here."

"Wait, wait, I heard it right the first time, right?" Zack looked a bit confused and excited. "I can go Mega?"

"Oh, right, Pidgeot can Mega-Evolve," the Farfetch'd said. "We could always use that in case of emergencies."

"Aw yeah, we're gonna show that baddy!" The Pidgeot curled his wings into fists and slammed them together.

 

[IFBench]

"Don't you need an Awakening Emera or Empowerment Seed in order to mega-evolve?" Coleane asked, tilting her head. "I've never heard of a Pidgeotite before."

 

[Hanafuda]

"So you have different items for that, huh? Interesting," Jack said, nodding a few times.

"Oh, lemme show you." Seb checked his pockets before looking at his right wrist. There was a black bracelet tied around it with a rainbow gem embedded onto it. He showed it to Coleane with a confident smile. "This is a Mega Ring. One small tap on this and your buddy will unleash their full power. They can get outta control if you don't know how to handle the power--trust me as a guy from Kalos. It's not pretty when it happens, especially with all those wannabe Lucario Trainers."

"Seriously, it's like the world is all Lucario," Zack muttered in disbelief with his head down. He looked back up with wings crossed. "But I wanna know if you can go Mega, too. Just imagine..."

 

[IFBench]

"I don't think I can," Coleane said. "Only some species of Pokemon can Mega evolve. Most just Awaken."

 

[Hanafuda]

"Even if you can't Mega-Evolve, it's okay," Jack said reassuringly. "You can be strong either way." He looked down and placed a wing on his head, chuckling lightly. "I din;t mean for that to rhyme..."

"Yeah." Zack passed a wing through his crest, letting the floppy feathers move as he posed with one wing on his hip and the other extended behind him. "If I can be a fab hero, so can you. And Jack-o. Heck, anyone has the power, especially with this bad guy kidnappin' everyone. Even the friggin' police! Pretty wild, if you ask me."

 

[IFBench]

Coleane simply frowned and looked away, not commenting. She seemed uncomfortable.

 

[Hanafuda]

"Hm?" Seb frowned in worry, stepping a bit closer. "Something wrong, Coleane?"

"Somethin' I said made you sad?" Zack asked, tilting his head.

 

[IFBench]

"I'm not able to be a hero. I'm a Pokemon, not a human," she said, wings drooping.