AETHER VS. ULTRA

[indigo_league]

Who: The Aether Foundation, the Ultra Beasts, and YOU!
Where: Aether Headquarters on the Sevii Islands.
When: October 30th-31st, immediately after the Emergency News Bulletin
Summary: Showdown at the Aether HQ! The Ultra Beasts have found what they were looking for...
Rating: PG for action violence.
Log:


If there's one thing that can be said about several weeks straight of chaos, it's made the general response-time of rescue teams and emergency services across Johto and Kanto alike extremely quick. Within moments of the urgent news bulletin regarding the Aether HQ going live, relief efforts start taking off from every feasible point. With volunteers eager to watch the Aether Foundation go down in flames help any way they can hopping on board with the rescue forces, aid is coming, and fast.

... But not as fast as them.

At the exact moment of the broadcast, almost as though heralded by some unknown frequency, every Ultra Beast in land, sea, or sky drops whatever they're doing and turns their heads (or... headlike appendages, in most cases) to the south. And then they'll take off, pausing ONLY if they happen to have befriended a human or two over the weeks. These ones will gesture-- beckoning, dancing, even dabbing (because you KNOW at least one person taught one to dab)-- anything at all that they may have picked up throughout the month in order to communicate with the "aliens" they've met in this world.

Wherever they're headed, they want their strange allies to come with them.

And, if their invitation is accepted, they will sweep a trainer or two right off their feet and shoot off for the Sevii Islands.

_______

The temporary Aether Foundation HQ, a rather advanced building considering it went up in a matter of weeks after they first arrived that year-and-a-half-or-so ago, sits on the water's edge with its floating Pokemon sanctuary (which many consider to be the Foundation's crown jewel) neatly attached.

It's normally a pretty peaceful place, with volunteers coming and going as they please. While no small amount of property damage and general chaos has gone down on the mainland over the course of October, at no point had the marauding Beasts launched a concentrated, or indeed deliberate-seeming, attack against any one location at all.

This is clearly no longer the case.

An explosion sends billowing smoke (and a fancy white golf-cart) high into the air above the palm trees surrounding the building. Local islanders and wild Pokemon spill onto the beach to escape what has seemingly become an all-out warzone between Aether agents and Ultra Beasts of all shapes and sizes...

But while there is definitely fighting going on, taking a closer look will tell anyone that the Beasts are focused mainly on the building... and not just destroying it, either. The battering they're delivering seems to be with the intent to find a way inside, only stopping to attack humans and Pokemon who try to get in the way.

But why?

What's in there?

Whatever it is... those Aether agents who haven't already fled aren't keen to let anyone, human or Ultra Beast, too close!



[Happy Halloween! See the updated info post for more info... and comment below to join the fray...]

Comments

AETHER VS. ULTRA

[indigo_league]

SIGN YOUR CHARACTER UP HERE BEFORE COMMENTING TO THIS THREAD!

Once your character is signed up, challenge each round of enemies by commenting with your strategy to defeat them!

THE LOBBY

[indigo_league]

At the entrance to the Aether Foundation, past the debris-filled courtyard, a number of low-level employees are defending the doors against Ultra Beasts and incoming trainers alike. They seem confused and genuinely alarmed, but determined to stop anyone trying to get inside, reacting to approaching trainers with shouts of "STOP! You're trespassing!" and Pokeballs at the ready.

But beat enough of them and they’ll get out of the way quickly— seems like what the Silph employee said over the news has rattled them too.

__________


In order to progress past this stage, 10 employees must be defeated by at least one character each.

Their teams' levels will be between 18 and 25, with each Foundation Employee owning up to four of the following Pokemon:

Herdier
Trumbeak
Mudbray
Wingull
Kecleon
Inkay
Stufful

THE FLOATING SANCTUARY

[indigo_league]

As the confused and disorganized Aether grunts begin to fall back more and more under the onslaught of both Beast and trainer, they realize that this isn’t a battle they’re going to win… and honestly, after everything they’re seeing, it’s hard not to be demoralized.

The defending groups dissolve as defeated grunts either hold their hands up in surrender or ditch entirely, leaving the doors unguarded! In the chaos, many of them have dropped items, offered them in exchange for not having to battle… or, in some cases, straight up thrown them at trainers as a diversion while they book it out of this mess. Each person who challenged grunts at the doors will be able to pick up five (5) healing items of their choice (barring Max Potions or Max Revives) AND three of the following:

Rare Candy (raises your Pokemon's level by 1, no training required!)

Big Malasada (a tasty Alolan treat that heals all status ailments!)

Clever Wing (a pretty feather that will boost your Pokemon's Special Defense!)

Genius Wing (a pretty feather that will boost your Pokemon's Special Attack!)

Health Wing (a pretty feather that will boost your Pokemon's HP!)

Muscle Wing (a pretty feather that will boost your Pokemon's Attack!)

Resist Wing (a pretty feather that will boost your Pokemon's Defense!

Swift Wing (a pretty feather that will boost your Pokemon's Speed!)

Heart Scale (useless, but very pretty! Put it on a necklace!!)

Beyond the lobby is a space those who have visited (or volunteered) in the past will recognize: the Floating Sanctuary filled with pristine boardwalks and plant-life for recuperating Pokemon to live in under a big glass dome (w-which is currently covered in Ultra Beasts pounding on it trying to get in, causing the Pokemon-- especially those in the rescue area for Scorbunny, Sobble, and Grookey, to cause a deafening cacophony of wails and distress calls.

Unsurprisingly, the employees here are immediately on the defensive to see a bunch of trainers and Ultra Beasts come busting in... but while they move to send out their own Pokemon and ask questions later, they do seem primarily concerned with defending the habitats and injured Pokemon. Unlike the grunts, these employees have stronger Pokemon and are willing to fight that much harder to fend people off...

______________

In order to progress, 20 employees must be defeated! ... OR, in light of the (frankly very justified, despite the Aether Foundation's shady actions) position they're in... maybe it would be prudent to try some other tactics. In addition to describing a battle strategy, an explanation of how your character might try to convince these Aether rehabilitators that the Pokemon they guard aren’t in any danger can also count towards unlocking the win condition (... OR NOT, if your character is particularly lacking in charisma...)

Their levels will be between 25 and 40, with each member owning one to four of the following Pokemon:

Sudowoodo
Kecleon
Stoutland
Parasect
Pelipper
Lumineon
Manectric

THE ELEVATOR

[indigo_league]

There's no point claiming otherwise: it's pretty much chaos in that Sanctuary.

The place wasn't exactly built to handle simultaneous battles inside AND giant aliens slamming repeatedly against the outside like flies AND rube goldberg machines launching projectiles at the dome, FRED!

But the good news is that while those who went in guns a-blazin' won't exactly win any goodwill from the employees (not that they likely want any, but there you go), the trainers who took the time to provide aid and compassion will find the Sanctuary's caretakers quickly coming around. With the Ultra Beasts' attention so unwaveringly focused on busting the building open, it's clear that the safest thing to do for the Pokemon inside is evacuate them to safety.

The grunts who insisted on battling (and wound up thoroughly trounced) begrudgingly join their coworkers in starting to move their charges out of the HQ, leaving behind (or giving freely in some cases) a number of noteworthy items in the process. Each challenger who engaged with the employees (whether they took the aggressive route or the peaceful one!) may choose one (1) of the following:

White Flute

Yellow Flute

Red Flute

Black Flute

Blue Flute

Shell Bell

Soothe Bell

Luxury Ball

Additionally, assuming they didn't all get blasted to smithereens during the initial battle frenzy, the Sanctuary has all kinds of berry trees, providing a good opportunity for tired teams to heal up before progressing.

Because yes... there is more to Aether's headquarters than the pretty biodome they keep the volunteers working in.

Towards the back of the dome, there are airlock-style doors leading to a staircase, and then a series of halls. The natural light of the Sanctuary is gone; there are no windows here. Only eerily-silent fluorescent lights that make everything look washed out. For anyone who ventures further, it won't be long until they reach a room with a large, open-walled elevator with hallways that branch out in all directions. The other side of the dome didn't look this big from the outside...

... But pressing the elevator button just gets a fruitless beep, and the sound of voices and running footsteps are quick to follow. The uniformed agents that come rushing in to block the way don't look like kindly volunteers who will listen to reason-- in fact, their faces are stony, and any attempts to start a dialogue are met with glares or mirthless chuckles before they whip out their Pokeballs.

"This is your last chance... leave now, or risk not leaving at all."

_____________________


The elevator needs the key, and only one of the agents is carrying one! In order to progress past this stage, at least 8 Aether agents must be beaten!

Unlike the previous fights, these guys really mean business-- they're seasoned trainers, and nowhere near as disorganized as the last two groups were. Even if there’s a significant level gap between their Pokemon and yours, they'll require some degree of strategy to defeat.

Levels will be between 40 and 70, with each employee owning between three and five of the following Pokemon:

Alolan Dugtrio
Magmar
Electabuzz
Starmie
Toucannon
Ledian
Bruxish
Stoutland
Alolan Muk

THE LABS

[indigo_league]

The battles with the upper-level agents are quite an upgrade in ferocity, but as the smoke clears in the elevator room, the last standing agent slouches against the wall, defeated. There's nothing he can do to stop the elevator key-card from being confiscated.

"Don't say we didn't warn you," is all he growls as he and his cohorts grudgingly back away.

But before you all take the plunge down into the deeper levels of the Aether Foundation, don't forget to pick up some of the sweet loot that these Aether authorities dropped in all the commotion! If these guys were any indication of what awaits, they could come in handy in the battles to come... Each challenger who battled the agents may choose one (1) of the following:

Eject Button

Red Card

Weakness Policy

Safety Goggles

Assault Vest

Scope Lens

Guard Spec.

Dire Hit

The stark, minimalist Aether aesthetic remains creepily present even in the lower levels that clearly were not intended for anyone but the highest-ranking employees to access-- but as the elevator slides into its dock with a hiss of compressed air, something clearly stands out about this one.

Rather than just winding hallways, there's windows in these ones. Not to the outside, though. Instead, they point into what are clearly offices and laboratories, featuring empty cages, abandoned computers, and strange equipment. The first few are barren, clearly thoroughly cleaned out, but the ones at the end of the hall...

There's crashing noises and footsteps, as though several people are throwing a lot of stuff around in a hurry. One man stands at the mouth of three doorways, back to the elevator.

"Hurry up, you buffoons! Or do I have to do everything myself?!"

The shouting figure turns as he hears the elevator slide into place, and the panic in his eyes is clearly visible. ... Even through the goofy-looking green visors he wears over each one. But he quickly composes himself, affixing a sneer on his face.



"You nasty ruffians got down here quicker than I anticipated... Normally I am FAR too important to get my hands dirty fighting off such riff-raff, but I can't allow you to progress any further.
... Literally! I'm the only one who knows the code, and I shan't talk! Prepare yourselves!"

______________________

Branch Chief Faba (who doesn't have nearly the fame and recognition as Lusamine, but anyone paying attention to the Aether news has probably seen his goggle-eyed mug on the screen credited as one of the notable scientific minds in the Foundation) is standing in front of the laboratories, ordering some of his employees to destroy their contents! In order to progress, he needs to be battled... along with the three scientists trashing the secret labs, who will rush out to aid him when they hear the commotion!

Each of the four must be defeated by at least one individual challenger, both to move onwards, and see what's inside the three labs before they can get rid of all that evidence. Like with the last challenge, these foes will require both strength and strategy to defeat.

Make sure to specify which one you are challenging in your response to this comment!

Faba's Team: Claydol (lv.80) Bruxish (lv. 83) Alolan Raichu (lv. 83) Alakazam (lv. 83) Hypno (lv. 83) Flygon (lv. 86)

Scientist 1's Team: Huntail (lv. 80) Vikavolt (lv. 80) Midday Lycanroc (lv. 80) Alolan Persian (lv. 80)

Scientist 2's Team: Electrode (lv. 80) Alolan Marowak (lv. 80) Vanilluxe (lv. 80) Porygon2 (lv. 80)

Scientist 3's Team: Salazzle (lv. 80) Gorebyss (lv. 80) Alolan Graveler (lv. 80) Parasect (lv. 80)

THE CONTAINMENT CHAMBER

[indigo_league]

"AIIIEEE!"

This is the scream heard 'round the entire laboratory level as Faba is thoroughly whomped. ... Twice. ... Several times. .... A lot.

Adding insult to injury, as he literally crawls away from the trainers, Pokemon and assorted Ultra Beasts that have pretty much been kicking the living daylights out of his team (and him) for the past twenty minutes or so... a Buzzwole reaches down and lifts him by the seat of his pants, dangling him in the air and buzzing its wings menacingly.

"A-all right... all right... I surrender, I capitulate, I yield!! If I g-give you the code, I trust you'll all be civilized and let me peacefully make my way to the surface!"

The Buzzwole gives him a shake as though to say "Get on with it!!", and at long last, he squeaks out a string of numbers that, if entered into the keypad on the elevator, will take the challengers down to an even lower floor.

From here, assuming people don't feel like smacking Faba around a little more first, they might want to take the time to heal up. The three partially-trashed laboratories are now unprotected and ripe for investigation. But whether the discoveries to be made there are mind-blowing revelations or merely confirmation of suspicions that were already lurking in the back of peoples' minds... there's still one place left to go.

________________

It's cold down here. Freezing, almost

If the last couple of floors above weren't already underwater, down here certainly is.

The fluorescent lights are cut by a deep blue glow from the massive window at the end of a massive chamber-- not as big as the biodome up on the surface, but a far more open space than the claustrophobic hallways everyone just left behind...

At first, the window, framed by elaborate control panels and levers on all sides, could be mistaken for looking out onto the open ocean, but the light does not flicker with the movement of water, and there's no sea Pokemon drifting past. No, it looks onto another chamber, even bigger and deeper than this one, filled almost completely with solid ice. Encased in that ice is... something. Something big.

But taking a closer look isn't really an option, because there's someone standing in front of the window, a hand pressed to it. Her perfectly-sculpted veil of hair looks silver in the icy light.

"... In some ways, I suppose I should thank you."

She turns around, the echoing click of her heels amplified by the emptiness of the room.



"You were all my inspiration... you otherworlders. It was when you first began to appear in Johto that I was inspired to turn my sights beyond the stars and seek out other worlds... even if my Foundation's discoveries were unrelated, it never could have happened without that first spark of realization and curiosity.

They're not like you, of course. They feel such terror and pain when they enter this world, beyond anything humans or Pokemon could possibly comprehend... but like this, they don't need to. Like this, my beautiful beasts can simply wait, with no need to feel horrible things or think unhappy thoughts... Like this, I can keep them safe... can look upon their beauty with love every day, knowing that they do not suffer."

She takes her hand off the glass and her eyes widen, flashing with a deeply-unsettling intensity, even as her placid smile remains the same.

"You may have been my inspiration once, but now I have seen true beauty...
... and I won't let you take it away from me."


_____________________________________



Each of Lusamine's Pokemon is Lv. 100, exquisitely trained, and completely loyal.

To make matters even worse... there's a built-in tray attached to the control panel she's standing next to that seems to be the same technology used in Pokemon Centers. Each time one of her Pokemon is defeated, into the tray it goes... ready to re-enter the fight.

And she's ready to do this as long as it takes.

In order to stop Lusamine once and for all, challengers must battle her one by one to keep her occupied long enough for the person ahead of them to get past her to the control panel, activate the section labeled "EMERGENCY THAW"... and keep it activated.

Good luck, trainers...

ota

[cyan_maid]

A: Initial Response

[God, there was just so much to keep track of right now.

The Nulls from Silph Co were, essentially, a stolen IP from the Aether Foundation. The same group who had been creepy and eerie for a while now, seeming to hide things about the incident that had involved the crashed plane and those strange, unidentified Pokemon (and her Benji, her bunny boy, he'd been doing so much better and now he was back home and terrified of the UBs outside, never emerging from the nest he made himself under Jane's bed). And the Nulls were designed to fight these...definitely actual aliens that have been invading the regions for an entire month now. Jane couldn't let Quinn out for longer than necessary anymore, or they would position themselves at the front window at the house and growl at creatures they could only perceive through the barest grasp of their senses, hindered by their own mishandled genetics.

(Fucking hell, if Jane could adopt more than one Null she would, Silph Co could suck it for stealing ideas and using them irresponsibly. Aether could suck it for not stepping in.)

Frankly, she's not here because she gives a good goddamn about Miss Lusamine's pet project. She's here for the people, and the Pokemon. The Benjis and Quinns of this world. They're hurting, and in spending all these years here, it hurts Jane to see it. So fuck you, Aether Foundation, there's civilians to help.

When Jane's metaphorical boots hit the ground on the Sevii Islands, she's got Dinah out with her and they are directing as much panicked traffic as possible to the evacuation and shelter points that were so quickly indicated to all volunteers. Keep calm, keep going, keep calm...if you're struggling with evacuation help, she'll hurry over, whether it's to carry a Pokemon that got hurt in the rush or soothe anyone who might be hysterical in the face of the UB onslaught.]

B: Observation

...They're not attacking anyone outright.

[It's said as most natives have been safely brought to shelters and native Pokemon have retreated to quieter, more secure areas. Jane's kept her distance from the Aether Foundation's base, but now she finds herself drawn to it, watching the chaos unfold. Realistically, she should help...someone. Right?

Who should she be helping, in this situation?]

They're literally just trying to get inside! Why - why do they want that?

[What is hiding behind those gleaming white walls that a bunch of alien creatures so desperately want to reach?

And why does Jane want to see it, too?]

C: Action

[In between battling Aether Agents, Jane is definitely snooping in what corridors and areas that the invading swarm of trainers and UBs happen to find themselves in. How can she not be curious? Surely you want to take a look at what's in here too, right? How about we explore a room together as the chaos dies down for now? It can be on any level of the Aether Vs Ultra challenge.]

B

[in4apounding]

Maybe they've got friends inside?

[Hi Jane, Penny's looking a bit roughed up from the day's activities if no the less chipper.]

Or a way home. ...That'd make me really desperate to get in someplace like this.

B

[tearsofademon]

Could be a lot of reasons.

[Ryner doesn't look happy. He's using some light healing items on the couple of scratches his Clefairy's gotten up to this point now that the initial guards have been managed - she looks quite pleased with herself though - but otherwise looks a lot more focused than he usually might.]

At the moment, most of my guesses aren't very nice.

C - I can swap to brackets, it was just WAY easier not to write the tag-in in 1st person

[uber_marionettist]

His pulse is fast, racing, and he can feel it in his throat. He's been on a real tear since they arrived, and if his ruthlessness looks like passion, or the tension locked up in his jaw looks like dedication, then all the better.

By the time they get to Faba, Dirk has acquired an office chair (the kind with wheels, of course) and a host of Kartana who have taken it upon themselves to move it, allowing him to zip down halls and through the passageways at speeds that--while inferior to flash stepping--are not compliant with however many days it's been since there was last a workplace injury here at Aether HQ.

Of course, Dirk is at least partially responsible for the end of whatever streak they were on there anyway. His tendency to favour black clothes in this game has a lot to do with being the kind of person who frequently needs to wipe blood or motor oil off his hands.

So that's what it's been like to do this Strider Style, right up until he, his chair, and the Kartana (nearly?) run Jane the fuck over. Maybe they do and maybe they don't, but even if he bails on the chair--which he has basically a split second (less than, in fact) to decide on, plenty of time--that's not gonna stop it from being on a direct collision course with Jane "Speedbump" Crocker...

Unless?

C

[cyclonely]

[It's after the penultimate battle and John is cautiously putting his hammer back away in his bag. He really needs to get something with more surface area...he'd feel safer thumping people than whatever a claw hammer would do. Right now it's more a threat than anything else, even if these are bad guys.

Anyway, the labs are definitely the next place to go. John came of age in a video game, and he knows Jane did too...and Jane's into sleuthing. She might be a little busy, as she's been directing Dinah, but John waves at her over by the laboratory doorways, trying to catch her attention.]

The Floating Sanctuary - OTA

[schachmeister]

[It is a bit (a lot) of a chaos around the Floating Sanctuary. Between the various Ultra Beasts trying to get into the glass dome, the panicked crying of the pokemon inside, the battles and scuffles breaking out everywhere and one (pokemon-less) employee trying to swat at the quick little Karkana with a broom of all things, it's easy to feel lost in the entire situation.

Just now, Armin helped defeat the first wave of Aether employees guarding the place, but standing here, overlooking the chaos, it is starting to feel wrong. For every employee that is trying to either fight off one of the Ultra Beasts trying to penetrate the dome, or the trainers flooding into the place, there is another employee who is just desperately trying to gather up as many of the little pokemon as they can to keep them safe. And from talking to Kazuki, he knows most of these men and women are simple volunteers who don't even have access to most of the foundation's headquarters. Whatever screwy things might be going on behind the scenes here (and he is sure there is plenty of screwiness here), these are not the people responsible for it. The higher-ups, yes, but Armin wouldn't be surprised if the men and women on this level are as clueless about the entire situation as they all are.]

This is wrong...

[Straightening his back, he quickly recalls his Incineroar and Dhelmise into their pokeballs, before he tries to find the nearest trainer, even willing to grab their arm if it helps get their attention, his face earnest and tinged with a bit of desperation.]

Wait, please, listen to me.

[Lets give peace a chance here, you guys!!]

[notyourgoddess]

[But.....violence.]

Armin. What's going on?

[Hey Armin, you look troubled so Maya will stop to see what's happening.]

[in4apounding]

[Sorry Armin, Penny's kind of in Fight Mode at the moment. Not the best time to grab her arm; she spins, taking an instinctive swing right at his face.]

[And regardless of whether or not that hits, her demeanor instantly shifts.]

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you all right?

[meteorman]

[It's only the fact that that voice is familiar that stops Ford from taking a swing at whoever was dumb enough to grab his arm in the middle of a fight. The Pokémon world has only softened him so much, but it's definitely softened him enough to curb his paranoid mid-battle reflexes where people he likes are concerned.]

Armin-- ?

[sassymaru]

How do you mean?

[For the most part, Shadowmaru has been hanging back. Keeping a low profile with his woefully low level Pokemon. His dogs, however, are doing their best to herd some of the fleeing Pokemon to safety. Or, at least, out of the direct line of fire.]

[So when Armin speaks, he jerks to a stop, looking at the young man. His hair's tied back, out of his face, and his expression is far more harried than usual.]

Which part of it is?

ota

[whymustifeel]

[Fred's in the zone.

A few weeks of many, many people and Pokemon trying to convince him to chill out with the trap-making thing has not at all gotten this kid to stop doing what he loves, and the evidence is all over this base. Fred's building feverishly and without any sign of stopping soon, especially as they move from area to area and Fred picks up more and more stuff from his surroundings to use as materials.

Unfortunately, traps do not know how to distinguish between friend or foe. Which means they're just as likely to catch Aether employees as they are to catch Ultra Beasts, the UBeast's allies, or their Pokemon. While some can be escaped without any trouble, or even sidestepped before Rube Goldberg-style machinations finish going off, others are much sturdier. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason for how complex a certain trap might be or how strong it'll be- it's just a matter of Fred trying to set as many as he can, as fast as he can, and only taking the time to reinforce some of them.

The point is, there's a good chance of people on the non-Aether side getting caught by one. Might be a good idea to seek out the "trapmaster" himself and chew him out for it; or shout for him to come and help, if still stuck inside one of his creations.

And of course, there's always the option to approach him and ask to help. Fred's used to having three sets of hands (and one set of paws) on his side. The more the merrier! And as time goes on, he'll probably start approaching people himself for this same reason- especially the ones with lower-level Pokemon like himself who can't fight back the stronger enemies.]

Hey, d'you know how tie knots? Or do your Pokemon know how to tie knots?

[yousayyes]

[When Fred approaches him, Winston's a bit too caught up in the chaos to question what purpose his answer would serve- so he's replying nearly in auto-pilot as he focuses his attention elsewhere.] Two out of three do, but one of them only does it to pull pranks, so really it's just me and Mike-

[Inexplicably, a coconut of all things catapaults out of the blue, careening in their general direction. With a sudden reflexive jerk of his arm- Winston just barely manages to catch it in his hand before it can make contact with the wall behind him. After the initial shock subsides, he simply finds himself silently blinking his eyes at the coconut in his palm, looking between it and Fred with the kind of expression that expects an explanation.]

OTA

[shiro2hero]

>GENERAL CHAOS<
[Shiro doesn't want to be here. He doesn't want any part of these Ultra Beasts. Especially the jellyfish. But when Keith's giant bug friend decided to haul most of the gang out to the site of the action, he didn't really have a choice. So he traded out his usual beach attire for heavier jeans, leather, gloves. Things that would afford more protection.]

[And there he is, in the middle of the fighting. His Aggron, Incineroar and Gengar at his side, depending on the moment. None of them are willing to let their trainer get too far away. While he's got his eyes everywhere. He looks pale, he looks like he wants to bolt.]

[But when he calls out directions to his pokemon, he sounds far more composed, far more determined. It's the same voice he uses to call out to others around him.]

Are you holding up all right? [If the answer is no, or anything uncertain, he will toss a healing item your way.] Take this!

Just keep going! Whatever happens, stay with your pokemon! We'll get through this!

[Why yes, he is attempting to yell supportive comments to anyone within earshot. If you're in over your head, this guy and his tanks of pokemon are going to move to cover you.]



>OOPS...?<
[While the UBs may not be attacking people outright, that doesn't mean they're being careful with the property. With the walls and ceilings.]

[Which is. Exactly what Shiro isn't paying attention to. Not right now. Because the moment he steps into the area of the dome, the sight of a bunch of Nihilego pressed against the glass stop him cold. The confidence he'd been displaying for everyone else seems to evaporate. And all he can do is stare at the creatures.]

[Until the bit of archway he's standing under decides to crack and fall.]

[Oops.]

[You may need to give him a hand there. Help him claw his way out from under it. Actually, yes. Please help.]

-- I'm fine! I'm -- [Yep, he's going to insist on this.]


>ANYTHING ELSE<
[The obligatory wildcard; anything else you want to thread out with the dorito and/or his pokemon.]

OOPS...?

[fuelthefire]

[Oh, hey, that fancy archway sure just did collapse down on that familiar dorito of a man.

Of course Krieg is here, and of course he's right there to help, putting all of his prodigious, manly muscles to good use to lift the debris off of his good buddy Shiro.

Fe Fe is also here, and she is helping, too. Or, she will, just as soon as Krieg moves the biggest chunk so he can feel like he helped. Once that's taken care of, the big Metagross uses her mad telekinesis powers to remove the rest of the broken archway.]

You're a bad liar, Sugar.

OTA

[sassymaru]

EVACUATION
[Shadowmaru is not here for a fight. He's notoriously terrible at them, when it comes to his pokemon. He's much more comfortable being the one to fight, then let someone else do it for him. Though, really. He's unable to keep from venturing to the Islands to help.]

[His dogs are with him -- a Growlithe and a Rockruff. They're the ones running around, trying to lead the smaller, frightened pokemon to safety. The ones who may be guiding the volunteers toward the exits.]

So much for some simple tricks and treats, hm?

[His hair is tied back. His clothes far more muted than his usual flashy attire. An angry looking Venipede sticks to his shoulder.]

[An Aether employee appears to be resisting evacuation, despite the pokemon with them following Shadowmaru's Rockruff along willingly. So, Shadowmaru, who looks to be more leg than anything, darts behind them, catching up their arm and shoving them forward before they have a chance to protest.]

Come now, come now! Your guests are growing tired of waiting! They're bringing down the house!

[Do you help him? Or ask him what the hell he's doing.]


wildcard;
[For the most part, Shadowmaru's going to be helping with evacuation. He will need help in a fight, so, if you want to thread out something like that, go for it! His pokemon roster is here!]

EVACUATION

[sociallychallenged]

[Hank's never been great at a fight. His pokemon are pretty levelled up, yeah. In fact he only brought level 100s with him- Luann the Lycanroc, Hunter the Houndoom, Tubbs the Arcanine, the ever-hidden Connie the Floette, and this time his Tentacruel. He knew he'd let the others do the fighting part.]

[He'll just help out with this.]

[The moment he sees Shadowmaru helping, he calls out to him.] Shadowmaru! Over here!

[And then Hank quickly starts making his way from 'over here' to 'over there', supply of rescue pokemon trailing.]

You need some back up, big guy? I figure the other fighters got this. [And Hank has his heavy-hitting rescuers. They can carry them as needed.] I can help be your escort.

backdated to when the chaos just began to break out because I'm late af

[forsaintcecilia]

[Kazuki had been volunteering at Aether Paradise for months now, after the unknown Pokemon appeared when that plane crash happened. At first, he trusted the people here. They were taking care of so many orphaned and otherwise needy Pokemon, after all, and those Pokemon seemed really happy to be where they were.]

[But as time went on, people began to have suspicions. There was something a little too convenient about how they always seemed to be ready every time there was a disaster involving otherworldly creatures. Kazuki did his best to find out what he could about them, as he had friends that that were starting to become skeptical of the Foundation's presence, but he could never get past their strict security. He could only provide rumors and general knowledge, and it wasn't very satisfying.]

[Then October happened. The scant amount of information Kazuki could scrounge up started to become more and more incriminating. First, there was the alien creatures' arrival, and how the unidentified Pokemon feared them. Then, the Type: Nulls who reacted to them so violently turned out not to be made by Silph at all, and the company pointed it's finger at the Foundation... Did that mean that the they created the blueprints, and then spread them around somehow? And what did that mean? Were the Type: Null developed specifically to protect people from the aliens? If the Foundation were the ones behind the Ultra Beast's arrival, that lined up far too well for his liking.]

[In a stroke of either incredible or terrible luck, Kazuki was volunteering at the Aether Paradise location when it became ground zero. When the Ultra Beasts descended, all hell broke loose. The other volunteers fled, and the staff began to try and fight them off. Kazuki, however, didn't fear the aliens. He'd managed to make peace with several of them over the month. He knew how to deal with them.]

[Instead, he saw an opportunity. While the staff the normally guarded the off-limits areas of the were distracted, he made a break for the emergency stairs that led down to the hallways below. With his volunteer uniform on, he blended in enough that no one tried to stop him. But little did he know, he was being followed by a ghostly presence...]

[Down below the biodome, it was eerily quiet. The action upstairs was nothing more than muffled thumps, and the only real source of light was coming from signs pointing out emergency exits, casting a red glow onto the walls and fading into dark corners. Kazuki tried his best to soften his footsteps, as even the sound of his sneakers hitting the floor echoed in the empty corridor.]

[There were several smaller, lab-like rooms neatly lined on either side of the walkway. They were locked from the outside, but he could see through the observation windows. It didn't look like there were any ongoing experiments inside, since the rooms were empty, but there were monitors on displaying information. While he was too far away to read any text, Kazuki saw several disconcerting pictures.]

[One looked like a diagram of all the different parts of a Type: Null split up-- the hind legs, front legs, and tail. Another showed a picture of the helmet it wore broken into parts. In a different room, each monitor displayed a different Ultra Beast. In another, he saw what looked like general notes on the three mystery Pokemon that showed up after the plane crash...]

[While this was proof that the Foundation was somehow involved with all three of these incidents, it didn't provide any new information either. Still, a confirmation of suspicions was better than nothing. He'd better go before someone found out he was here--]

[Suddenly, Kazuki felt a pair of crushingly strong arms wrap around him from behind, and heard a very audible crack as all the air was forced out of his lungs before he was picked up and tossed aside with such force his vision blacked out. The last thing he heard was a familiar ringing cry.]

ooc: [Anyone who gets down to the halls beneath the bio dome, whether fighting off the staff or not, feel free to find a knocked-out Kazuki (who was just assaulted by a security Bewear) with a very agitated looking Nihilego floating around him! Be careful approaching him, those things are wicked poisonous!]

[starry_forehead]

[Dipper has made it down the halls and with his new building friend, the Stakataka with him, is trying to find out if there's anything here that will tell him what's going on.

Instead he finds someone on the floor with a giant jellyfish monster floating around. That's...uh. Not great. He'll move over carefully. His own team still out around him and try to see if the Nihilego will attack as he goes over to check on the hopefully just unconscious person he's pretty sure he was talking to earlier this month.]

Hey, I just want to check to see if he's okay....

ota evacuation

[angewiesen]

[For the first time since arriving in the PokeWorld, Jean felt totally outclassed by what was going on around him.]

[He got here with Armin on his boat when the news of the trouble at Aether Paradise broke out. It was a flaming shitshow. The staff and the weird aliens where fighting, the trainers and the staff were fighting, and the Pokemon caught in the crossfire were scattering in literally every direction.]

[Normally, it was Jean's job to try and make order out of chaos, but he simply didn't have the influence or power to do so in this situation. He had an electric zebra, two Pokemon was were at such a low level he wasn't going to let them out of their Pokeballs, and one highly overleveled Spheal who was aggressively rolling around his ankles and barking at walls in a way he thought was intimidating, but was honestly more cute than anything.]

[Unable to reign things in the way he'd like to, Jean decided to do what little he could. Which was, currently, lugging an armful of wriggling firebunnies (and several screaming water lizards clinging to his leg) out of the biodome and out to safety. It wasn't the most glamorous work, but dammit, somebody had to do it.]

[Feel free to give him a hand with all these hysterical babies. It's obviously grating on Jean's patience.]

[quizzak]

[ like jean, romelle is also struggling to fight any of the trainers, and some of them really don't want to listen to reason. she decides she can be helpful elsewhere, namely the evacuation of all the pokemon in the biodome. she sees someone else already on it, and she holds out her arms. ]

Pass over some of those Pokemon!

[ though she's also considering prying the water lizards off of his leg, too... ]

Lab #3 / Network

[marmoron]

Network
[Anyone who bothers to check their pokegear in the middle of this chaos will be treated to a video feed of this whiteboard and a rather terse sounding voice.]

Everyone. These Aether guys want to go after Suicune. We need trainers to go back to protect that pokemon.

[A beat.]

Also what's going on with the rest of this information? What happened with the plane? I wasn't here when that happened.

[A panning view of the rest of the lab is then broadcast.]

Action Option
[Alternatively, catch Keith in the third lab, picking up the vials and samples, frowning to see what all can be dsicerned here.]

[quizzak]

[ suicune-! romelle gasps when she sees keith's broadcast. her feed flicks on, and keith will see a frantic-looking romelle with a crying sobble clinging to her arm. the camera is shaking -- romelle is on the move. ]

What? Suicune? But why?

Action: during the Battles for access to the Elevator

[cyclonely]

Sitting on the floor against a wall as far away from the battling as possible without actually leaving the room, John has a look of concentration on his face as he scrolls through a webpage on his Gear, tracing the lines of a chart with his finger.

"Uhh...I think your type gets totally cancelled out by those evolved Wiglets," he says to the Gogoat standing beside him, tilting her big face to try and see the screen. "That doesn't make sense... What about that mop dog...wow...Bobo can't even touch him, I think? How does it even work when there are two types?" The Gogoat, Adagio, maas gently. "Yeah...I guess you wouldn't know."

Yes, John is absolutely trying to work out what type advantages mean and how they work in the middle of the infiltration. At least it's not in the middle of a battle?!

Re: Action: during the Battles for access to the Elevator

[in4apounding]

"I think the two types sort of stack on top of each other?"

Did you want help here, John? Too bad, Penny time.

"Like Simi is both electric and steel type, so I think she's doubly weak to ground attacks? Even though she floats."

investigating the labs

[tearsofademon]

After the battle with Faba and his scientists, Ryner leaves his team to their own devices to heal themselves and take a short break while he goes and investigates the labs. Time to take photos and document every single piece of evidence in this place, so that even if they destroy them further they can't destroy everything.

During that period, one might encounter him in any of the three labs. He's in the second lab first, and for the longest time, taking particularly meticulous photos recording every photo, every diagram, every machine, every single page of logs. Yes, even the boring logs that just say similar things over and over. You never know what will be relevant.

He's in the third lab second, and along with his photos, he seems to briefly consider taking a chunk of the metal for his own study. It does look like it could be worth it. Hmm...

He's in the first lab last, and though he doesn't quite have the computer savvy to hack that machine himself (even if he's taught himself a few things occasionally), he does find the files at the bottom of the filing cabinet. And that's what gives him pause, as he kneels there looking them over.

"...So, it was deliberate, then," he comments aloud as he looks at the handbook cover. The way he says this, his tone is a dull, unhappy one. "Guess that confirms that."

If he notices the Pokeball on his belt open on its own, he doesn't comment, but a Type Null pads over to sit next to him, tilting its head.

"People like them always think they can just do whatever the hell they want," he murmurs. "That they can just make living weapons, without any regard for the lives they're messing around with..."

"Rrrr?"

"...I'm sorry, Shira. That they did this to you. I'd hoped, if I could get you out of there, then you wouldn't have to bear that... But I was always too late."

He doesn't notice when Shira starts to glow a blinding white, off to the side as the Null is. He does notice the sound of something cracking, then crashing to the ground right by him, but he doesn't look up in time before there is a slobbery tongue right in his face.

"H-Hey, Shira--"

It's only once he's managed to push his 'mon's face out of his and seen the broken mask on the floor that he gets a good look at Shira's maskless face. (Still with that eternally goofy tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. Well, at least we know where it came from now...)

Shira, now a Silphally, yips twice and cheerfully starts panting, and after a moment, Ryner smiles a little and reaches over to scritch his ears.

"Yeah, guess you're right. And if you're happy, that's what matters."

Sometimes, it takes one's mon happiness-evolving in front of them after deliberately holding it in for the right moment to get through to them that maybe, just maybe, they're doing okay at this whole thing.