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

[forsaintcecilia]

[The Nihilego gave an eerie, undulating cry as it shrunk down to veil the body it was protecting with its tentacles. But its bell-like head turned towards the Stakataka-- perhaps it would listen to the word of one of its own?]

[starry_forehead]

[That makes Dipper back away slightly because uh yes he remembers that prom. Luckily the Stakataka is looking between the two with it's many, many eyes and after a moment, will push Dipper underneath them and move slowly towards the Nihilego. With Dipper confused but walking with it. The Sakataka will point the majority of it's eyes back to the Nihilego to say (or convey or however they communicate)

It's okay, this is a nice one. They've been helping us. He likes to help people.]

[forsaintcecilia]

[The Nilhilego gave another wary cry, but then slowly floated back up so Kazuki was easier to see. It understood and trusted what the Satakataka told her, and replied that this human was also nice. He gave them food and made nice sounds that made it feel calm. So it protected him from the bad thing that tried to attack him.]

[Meanwhile, Kazuki looks... not great. Maybe conscious? Maybe not. Breathing, at least.]

[starry_forehead]

[That's good, Dipper will go over and put his backpack to the side once he reaches Kazuki. Leaving his pokemon to stand guard with the Stakataka.

Alive is good so next, he'll see if he's awake. After looking over to make sure there aren't any obvious broken bones, cuts or the like, Dipper will start talking.]

Hey, can you hear me?

stakataktakataka

[forsaintcecilia]

[Kazuki made a vague bluh sound in return, like someone being forced to wake up far earlier than they'd like to be. There was very little light down here, not much more than what came from the emergency exit signs, but it seemed impossibly bright all of a sudden. His ears were ringing too.]

Did someone get the number on that bus...

[starry_forehead]

Oh good, you're alive. I think you got knocked out by something?

Do you know where you are?

[forsaintcecilia]

This is... the Foundation, right?

[He started to try and get up to sit. The Nihilego chimed gently and put a couple of tentacles under his shoulders. Something felt bad with his ribs when he breathed in, but he didn't feel like he was dying or anything.]

Wait-- how'd you get down here?

[He was trying to sneak in! Had the trainers from above broken in?]