[PTU] Red Pill, I Chose You!

[Grif]

Yuri Fukenia

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The entire fight had been a blur between the aura-manipulating Lucario and his own ephemeral Gastly. However when the dust settled, Athlo and his trainer were victorious. After congratulations were lauded upon the conquering trainer and his Pokemon, Maylene awarded Yuri Cobble Badge.

After resting up, our young trainer and his Pokemon began to travel down Route 212 to reach Pastoria City, where they will try to earn their fourth badge in their journey.

As Yuri walks alongside one of the many marshes dotting Route 212, he’d suddenly find a companion walking besides him. “Do you ever wonder why it is always raining here?” his companion, a brown-haired lady dressed in a white jumpsuit, asked casually.

Jared Connolly

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Jared smiled at his small team of Pokemon. They were playing with each other on a Idyllic hill overlooking a white sanded beach. He had found a small piece of happiness traveling. He had never gotten along with humans very well, so the solitude suited him. Glint and the others were all he really needed. He had left home seven years ago and had only been back a few times to visit his mother before leaving again. He found his calling out here in the wild.

At the start of his journey, he hadn't caught any pokemon. He was content with Glint, but he could see that the Aron was getting lonely without other pokemon to keep him company and play with. It saddened the teen, to know he wasn't enough, but he knew it was for the best. He couldn't expect Glint to be as content with solitude as he was. So it was no surprise when one day Jared was walking through the second gym's city when Glint spotted a shieldon playing with some other ground and rock types in the local Poke-park and ran over to join in.

Jared's face split into a grin to see how happy the little steel type was. He stayed there for hours as Glint played and played. Eventually, other trainers came and picked up their pokemon one by one, until it was just the shieldon and Glint. Soon enough the shieldon's trainer came to pick up the small pokemon, but Glint wanted none of it. He seemed desperate to stay with the other pokemon. Jared's heart stung watching Glint try and stay with the shieldon until he couldn't anymore. The young trainer, after much haggling, got the other trainer to trade his pokemon for all the money Jared had, granted the other trainer didn't know it was all he had.

Glint had grown a great deal since then, and so did Sebastian, the once shieldon. The two had evolved over the years, Glint only a few months ago became an Aggron and Seb became a Bastiodon. They had picked up one other addition to their team, an unlikely member looking at the other two, but valued none the less. Jared found Shimmer, then a fennekin now a delphox, in a pokemon fighting pit ran by a gang he couldn't remember the name of. He busted the ring and saved the fox-like pokemon.

Jared was finally happy with his life after that. He had always felt this odd discontent when he was at home. Something always felt off, the people were off, his home felt wrong. Once he was out on the open road his unease abated, especially once he found his team. They became his home, the reason for him to keep going and to keep trying to get the the next level. They hadn't gotten far, only to the fourth gym, but they knew they could take it. His pokemon were strong and they knew it, and he knew it. They were a team through and through

It was one of those rare days where the sun was warm and the breeze was cool. The perfect balance off warmth and a breeze. The beach was a small walk away to go swimming if they wanted to, or even just play around in the shallows. Jared could tell today was going to be a fantastic day.

“Nice day to be on the beach, isn’t it?” a feminine voice said behind Jared. Odd, how did she sneak up on him? If he turns, he’d see a brown-haired lady, dressed in a white jumpsuit with silver highlights, looking out towards the ocean.

“Took awhile to find you. You really don’t like company, don’t you?” she continued, as she moved to sit beside Jared.

Oriana Hastings

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The girl awoke minutes later after Misty's life-saving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the side of the pool. The battle wasn't an official loss, but the forfeit stung even harder. It was apparent to Oriana that she, not just her pokemon, needed to trainer harder. The defeat was difficult to stomach, her internal battle-ready flame being doused twice, convincingly, by the water trainer to whom she was supposed to have the advantage.

A lost Oriana continued her journey through Kanto and quickly ran into more trouble. Her pikachu could keep the cavernous Mt. Moon lit and the zubats at bay, but the duo was forced to flee from the living boulder who call the mountain their home. Halfway through the cave, with dirty sweat pouring and two scraped knees, Oriana came across a tall boy a few years older than her taking on several geodude at a time with his buizel. The orange weasel pokemon blasted the geodude, one after another, to mud with its water gun attack. Milo wasn't from this region, he claimed, as he and Oriana traversed the rest of Mt. Moon together. The buizel continued to mow down any rocks in their path, while Oriana's pikachu kept the ceiling clear of bats. Soon enough, they found the exit and the bright sun that had forsaken them for far too long.

If she wanted to find that elusive first badge in Vermillion City, Milo told her, she'd need something stronger than her pikachu. He wouldn't be able to help her, as he had business to attend to back in Mt. Moon. Before he left, he handed her a blue-and-red pokeball. "It's a Gible," he said, "Another pokemon from my home region. With him, Lt. Surge will be a breeze." And it was. Oriana marched through that first battle to a stunning victory and started a snowballing pokemon campaign.

City after city, Gym Leader after Gym Leader, badge after badge, Oriana found victories and filled her badge book quickly. A supreme trainer in the Kanto region after not too long, she only needed one more badge to take on the Elite Four and achieve a pokemon trainer's greatest dream.

She stood at the doors of the Gym. It had been months since she was last here but it feels like she never left. Despite all of her successes, the fear and nervousness crept back into her mind. But a confident Cheese at her side, now a tall and bulky orange Raichu, swept all that away as he pushed the doors open himself, ready for battle.

"Misty!" Oriana shouted across the entire Gym, "I'm back!"

“Misty isn’t here, unfortunately,” a voice that isn’t Misty responded. Oriana would see a brown-haired female, dressed in a white jumpsuit standing where Misty should have been waiting. Strangely enough, the gym, normally bustling with trainers and swimmers in the pools nearby, was empty as well.

The mysterious lady smiles, and beckons Oriana closer. “Are you here for the Cerulean Gym badge?”

Tristan Belladine

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So this was the desert of Route 111. Of course he had seen it in passing on his way to Lavaridge but up close it almost seemed alive. The grains of sand flitted through the air and tugged at his clothes. Thankfully he could still see due to the generosity of some stranger. Tristan glances at the darting form of Des as she tested out her new wings in the scathing air. He couldn't blame her, she'd been waiting for wings a long time. He envied her at times but here he could almost close his eyes and imagine he was floating beside her. Though the map says to continue Northward, he decides to take a detour. Weren't there supposed to be ruins here or something? Nothing but rocks as far as he could tell. Wait a minute. Two of the rocks had odd features on them. He gets closer trying to get a grip on the two rocks when the sand suddenly shifts and all three start to sink. "Not good, not good, not good," he says in a panic.Tristan thrashes about trying to gain purchase but it is of little use. He starts to despair when he feels a jerk. Twisting around he catches a glimpse of Desiree's frantically beating wings. She's not strong enough. If only I weren't so big. His stomach drops and somehow Des is able to haul him onto more stable sand. Desiree checks him over making sure he's ok while he's trying to catch his breath. "Thanks Des, would've been a goner without ya." Desiree hums softly basking in the praise. Somehow he'd managed to hold onto one of the rocks. It had an odd outcropping that looked like a claw. Tristan shrugs and puts it in his pack. A typical Tuesday.

“Nice catch,” a voice said behind Tristan. He would find a lady, dressed in a white jumpsuit, sitting on a rocky outcropping close by. Odd. She wasn’t there a moment ago. “I hope you’re enjoying the weather.”

Sera Fal

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Thankful for the fact that Connecting Cave, unlike some other tunnels, was fairly well lit and could be seen in with just a flashlight rather than needing something more powerful, the young trainer made her way onward, intent upon getting her 3rd badge. She might've waited a few years before getting serious about the league, but her lackadaisical days finally came to an end and it was finally time to become a proper Pokemon Trainer. The task may not've done anything to help her streak of bad luck, but it certainly gave her something to concentrate on and strive toward alongside her Honedge and Ralts. Caves aren't safe places to daydream or reminisce however, and the trainer suddenly found herself under attack by a tiny, green creature with oversized tusks.

Sera couldn't believe her luck, an Axew! Things were finally looking up after the incident in Parfum Palace with those tourists. "Go, Leon! Let's capture this cute little dragon before we get to Cyllage City! The leader there will never know what hit him!" Not that she needed support, Cyllage City's Gym Leader used rock-type Pokemon, Leon would be more than enough to win on his own. Still, she liked to see her other Pokemon improve too, and there's no reason she couldn't save Leon for if things started looking dicey.

The battle wasn't long, Axew may be a dragon, but this one was young and wild, and Leon was already a skilled combatant who was able to resist everything the Axew had. "Great job Leon! Now we've got another friend! ...but maybe we shouldn't stop to celebrate here, I think the battle might've alerted some---" the shrill, annoying and infamous screech of the flock of angry zubats cut her off, "Not good, let's get out of here!"

Try as she might however, a teenager on foot can't outrun a swarm of tiny, blood-sucking bats. Their supersonic screeching wasn't doing anything for her sense of balance either, causing her to trip, her body seeming to sail through the air for a moment as she moved her hands up to brace herself and soften her inevitable crash into the solid rock wall.

Closer, and closer, the rock wall approaches.

Impact. Surprisingly soft and bouncy. Sera finds herself landing on a mattress. Odd. Why is there a mattress here?

“My, you’re quite clumsy, aren’t you?” said the lady who is leaning against the wall next to her. White jumpsuit, long brown hair, golden eyes. She isn’t a local, whoever she is. Surprisingly enough, the zubats seems to have disappeared as well. And the cave has gone silent as well. The lady eases herself off the wall and offers Sera a hand up.

Gabriel Owens

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This is it. My final hour. The Last Stand of Gabriel Owens. Bit melodramatic, perhaps. A healthy dose of melodrama seems warranted at the moment. Whatever force has been looming over my entire life, everything is coming to a head now.

A mile behind me, Viridian City burns. No turning back now.

Been over a year since I was pressed into winning eighth and final Gym badge. Tried running as far as possible from the League, but Kanto is a cage - the road to Johto blocked and heavily guarded, the mountains impassible. Attempts to escape further than Cinnabar by sea result in terrible storms that leave me washed back up on Pallet Town's sandy shores. Flying or burrowing Pokemon I catch refuse to go anywhere I haven't already been on foot. Hordes of trainers hound my every step now, nearly indistinguishable bug catchers and schoolkids (and one particularly persistent youngster with a Rattata) in packs of a dozen or more, driving me always towards Indigo Plateau. Bushes that should be easily surmountable grow back instantly no matter how many times Pokemon Cut them, blocking off last escape routes. The world has gone insane - They seem to have completely thrown away any lingering pretenses.

Something really wants me to beat the Elite Four.

I refuse to give them the satisfaction.

Back is to the wall now, literally - have reached the southwest corner of Route 22. North is the only remaining option - the entrance to Victory Road. I turn, releasing the entire team from their Pokeballs. Tell them it won't be long before They catch up. That last Sticky Web barely slowed them down. Not your fault, Webrunner - the Galvantula is reassured by a weary pat. They are just too tenacious. Would say inhuman, but have suspected for a long time now I'm the last real human left in this cracked-up country. I pull the team in for a group hug, but it's a sham, going through the motions. Shouldn't have caught any of them in the first place. Should have just refused to fight from the very beginning. Was so young and naive... so full of dreams, eager to believe the lies... but none of that matters now. Feels like I've been drained of every last drop of emotion.

I tell them to get out of here. Run as far as they can. Releasing them all. They try to dissuade me. Draw my gun, fire six sharp shots, destroy six insidious red and white devices. I reiterate - leave. Before I do the same to you.

Don't know why I let anything surprise me at this point. Five Pokemon just go empty. Disperse into the tall grass without further protest. Webrunner seems satisfied. The spider never got along with the other Pokemon. Should have seen the signs. He's the only one I could ever really trust.

Voice is getting hoarse. Finding it difficult to commit to this final, desperate course of action. Webrunner has to go, too. They can't make me fight if I've got no Pokemon. The tarantula understands. I laugh for the first time in months and don't recognize the harsh, dry sound. Warn him to stay away from people.Don't let Them catch you. Get to the old Power Plant. No one will find him there, plenty of electricity to feed on.

Long awkward silence. Sounds of marching steps approaching in the distance finally break it. Webrunned vanishes into the underbrush. Knew I could count on him not to make this harder. Can't afford to cry. I realize I'm still staring at the pistol. Check the magazine. One shot left. It's time to end this.

They are coming. She is at their head. My hands don't shake. I press the barrel to my temple and wait for Mother to arrive.

“I think you forgot something,” a voice booms through the underbrush. Webrunned sails through the bushes and lands on Gabriel’s feet. Moments later, a curious figure stepped through. A lady, with long brown hair and garbed in a plain white jumpsuit, with silver highlights. She walks towards Gabriel and gently pushes the barrel of the gun down, her unnaturally golden eyes studying the teenage boy. If he pulls the trigger anyway, the gun would click futilely.

“I must say, you done quite a number here. But as you’re probably aware, none of this will be permanent.” She waves a hand towards the direction of Viridian City, the smoke slowly dissipating and the orange glow fading.

[Xunthrae]

“Nice day to be on the beach, isn’t it?” a feminine voice said behind Jared. Odd, how did she sneak up on him? If he turns, he’d see a brown-haired lady, dressed in a white jumpsuit with silver highlights, looking out towards the ocean.

“Took awhile to find you. You really don’t like company, don’t you?” she continued, as she moved to sit beside Jared.

Jared

At the sound of the unexpected woman's voice, Jared jumps a bit, startled. "Oh, not really." He chuckled while his hand went the the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously. "What were you looking for me for?"

[ChaosArchon]

[Yuri]

As the woman speaks, Yuri jumps for a moment. He had been sure he or Athlo would have noticed if someone had been approaching the pair. Somehow this woman had gotten right next to the pair, kind of like some ninja. He quickly calms down as in his eyes he still has the advantage, after all Athlo was hiding in his shadow, so worst come to worst they'd have the first strike. "You know I always figured it was due to how Arceus made the world, but I never really have looked into it." he says as he continues walking.

[Desril]

Sera

A bed? What happened to the rock? Taking the proffered hand, Sera looks confused and tries to figure out what happened to the rock wall and the zubats. "Uhh, I wouldn't say clumsy...but those zubats were really disorienting, right Leon?"

[Bowyer]

[Tristan]

Tristan turns around but the woman's sudden appearance doesn't alarm him. After all, the sand was given to capricious whirls and could certainly hide someones movements. He shrugs off the praise for the moment, "Thanks. Not really sure what it is though. Could be nothing. This sandstorm isn't that bad really. I don't know why so many people were complaining about it. What brings you out here miss?"

[Hefty Lefty]

Oriana

A stunned Oriana has a double-take, looking down to her Raichu to confirm if what she's seeing is true. "Wh-what?" She stammers incredulously, "Of course I am! Where is she!?"

[gearHead]

Gabriel quashed a fleeting moment of relieved joy as Webrunner tumbled into his legs. This wasn't his mother. Or a League official. It was no one he'd ever seen before. And he was pretty sure he'd met every person in Kanto (he'd found the population was surprisingly small, though it was difficult to tell some of them apart sometimes). He could only stare numbly as she calmly approached, but the spell broke as she touched his gun. He flinched, almost tripping backwards as he whirled on her and brought her into his sights. Keep a cool head. Don't lose control. Don't panic. He repeated this internal mantra as he took a steadying breath, his eyes not leaving the woman, but he boggled as she quelled the burning city with a gesture.

"You're Them," he whispered almost inaudibly, his aim wavering for a second. "You're the one in control. The intelligence behind the blank eyes and mass-produced personalities and carbon copy scripted lines. The game master puppeteering the soulless NPCs." Without any further hesitation, Gabriel pulled the trigger.

Click.

Click.

Click click click click click click click click click dammit "What do you WANT FROM ME!?" he finally sobbed in confused frustration, flinging the gun impotently at her. Years of pent-up stress and paranoia seemed to have suddenly broken through all at once. Webrunner flipped to his feet, the arachnid unsure what was going on but no less determined to protect its master.

[Grif]

Jared

At the sound of the unexpected woman's voice, Jared jumps a bit, startled. "Oh, not really." He chuckled while his hand went the the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously. "What were you looking for me for?"

"I heard you were a very special person, Jared," the woman replies idly. "The best upcoming Pokemon trainer in the region."

[Yuri]

As the woman speaks, Yuri jumps for a moment. He had been sure he or Athlo would have noticed if someone had been approaching the pair. Somehow this woman had gotten right next to the pair, kind of like some ninja. He quickly calms down as in his eyes he still has the advantage, after all Athlo was hiding in his shadow, so worst come to worst they'd have the first strike. "You know I always figured it was due to how Arceus made the world, but I never really have looked into it." he says as he continues walking.

"It's just so odd. Where does all the rain come from? Where does all the water flow to? How does this place not turn into a swamp? So many questions for Arceus," the woman continued to muse idly, lifting a hand to her lip, keeping a steady pace with Yuri.

Sera

A bed? What happened to the rock? Taking the proffered hand, Sera looks confused and tries to figure out what happened to the rock wall and the zubats. "Uhh, I wouldn't say clumsy...but those zubats were really disorienting, right Leon?"

The Honedge seems to nod with agreement, as much as a psychic sword could, but hovers protectively next to Sera, as if distrustful of this new arrival. The woman simply chuckles, and resumes leaning against the wall. "Well, they won't be bothering us any longer. Sera, do you ever feel that the world seems just a little odd?"

[Tristan]

Tristan turns around but the woman's sudden appearance doesn't alarm him. After all, the sand was given to capricious whirls and could certainly hide someones movements. He shrugs off the praise for the moment, "Thanks. Not really sure what it is though. Could be nothing. This sandstorm isn't that bad really. I don't know why so many people were complaining about it. What brings you out here miss?"

"You, actually. Everyone in Hoenn is talking about you, Tristan. So I came down here to see for myself." The lady eased off her perch and walked towards the teen, heedless of the treacherous sands. "I thought you'd be taller, actually."

Oriana

A stunned Oriana has a double-take, looking down to her Raichu to confirm if what she's seeing is true. "Wh-what?" She stammers incredulously, "Of course I am! Where is she!?"

"Misty's gone on a holiday. I'm afraid she won't be back for a little while. Don't worry, while we're waiting, we can chat a little. Come now, don't just stand at the door." Again, the lady beckons Oriana into the eerily silent gym, the only sounds being the soft bubbling of pool water around them.

Gabriel quashed a fleeting moment of relieved joy as Webrunner tumbled into his legs. This wasn't his mother. Or a League official. It was no one he'd ever seen before. And he was pretty sure he'd met every person in Kanto (he'd found the population was surprisingly small, though it was difficult to tell some of them apart sometimes). He could only stare numbly as she calmly approached, but the spell broke as she touched his gun. He flinched, almost tripping backwards as he whirled on her and brought her into his sights. Keep a cool head. Don't lose control. Don't panic. He repeated this internal mantra as he took a steadying breath, his eyes not leaving the woman, but he boggled as she quelled the burning city with a gesture.

"You're Them," he whispered almost inaudibly, his aim wavering for a second. "You're the one in control. The intelligence behind the blank eyes and mass-produced personalities and carbon copy scripted lines. The game master puppeteering the soulless NPCs." Without any further hesitation, Gabriel pulled the trigger.

Click.

Click.

Click click click click click click click click click dammit "What do you WANT FROM ME!?" he finally sobbed in confused frustration, flinging the gun impotently at her. Years of pent-up stress and paranoia seemed to have suddenly broken through all at once. Webrunner flipped to his feet, the arachnid unsure what was going on but no less determined to protect its master.

The mysterious lady avoided the thrown gun easily and chuckled in response. "What do I want? Easy. I want you to trust me. You seem like a smart person. You know the world is wrong. You try to fight it, but it sucks you back in every time." She leaned closer, still smiling. "What if I told you, that you were right? That everything you see here is a lie? That I am here to help you. Would you believe me?"

[ChaosArchon]

[Yuri]

The white haired young man stops for a second and thinks,"I suppose that would be a similar question to where the water comes from a Water pokemon, or a fireball from a Fire pokemon. But it is odd the area has never flooded..."

He appears deep in thought and says,"oh how rude of me, my name is Yuri and yours is?"

[Xunthrae]

Jared

The young man furrows his brow. 'best upcoming trainer in the region'? He hasn't progressed that far, he didn't even have the regulation team of six pokemon. He honestly wasn't very interested in going on to the elite four anytime soon. "I don't see how, I'm not doing much in terms of the League. I've only collected a few badges since I started."

[Hefty Lefty]

The young girl Oriana walks quickly into the Gym, not because she was invited by this woman, but instead on the hope that Misty might somehow still be here. She cranes her neck and looks around the room and down into the pool as if the Gym Leader was hiding. "No no you don't understand. I want to challenge her right now. I need to." She walks right past this mysterious woman on the deck, past where some trainers are always standing, and up to the back platform where her two previous battles with Misty took place. She walks over the water with arms outstretched at her sides for balance; her raichu exhibits no such caution. "How do you know where she went? Who are you anyway?"

[Desril]

Sera

After looking around again to confirm that the zubats really are gone, she looks back at the newcomer, still confused. "Not...really. Some things are strange sure, but the world never seemed 'odd'. Wait, how do you know my name? Who are you?"

[Bowyer]

[Tristan]

Well he couldn't argue with the woman on either front. He did make a stir wherever he went it seemed and he wasn't exactly tall for his age. "Sorry to to disappoint. Running through a sandstorm might have made your search a bit harder." He glances at Desiree. "So are you here for a battle then?" Tristan asks but isn't really keen on the likely answer, Des had just gotten her wings and he was still worn from struggling with the sandtrap.

[gearHead]

"O-of course I'm right. That's obvious. It doesn't mean I believe you've got my best interests in mind," Gabriel snarled. And yet... there was something unmistakably different about this woman. She seemed so... genuine. "I..." he faltered, looking for Webrunner for help, but the spider was just as confused as he was. "I want to believe you. So, so badly," he admitted desperately. "But if you know the truth about this world, if you know more than I do, how can you expect me to trust anyone?"

Gabriel stared down at his hands. Even his own body didn't feel right. Despite his protests, his options were drastically limited. "Let's say I... entertained the possibility of trusting you. What... what does your 'help' entail?"

[Grif]

[Yuri]

The white haired young man stops for a second and thinks,"I suppose that would be a similar question to where the water comes from a Water pokemon, or a fireball from a Fire pokemon. But it is odd the area has never flooded..."

He appears deep in thought and says,"oh how rude of me, my name is Yuri and yours is?"

The woman pauses, just for the briefest of a second. "You may call me MissingNo." She smiles, her golden eyes suddenly looking directly at Yuri. "And don't worry about me. I know all about you, Yuri Fukunia."

Jared

The young man furrows his brow. 'best upcoming trainer in the region'? He hasn't progressed that far, he didn't even have the regulation team of six pokemon. He honestly wasn't very interested in going on to the elite four anytime soon. "I don't see how, I'm not doing much in terms of the League. I've only collected a few badges since I started."

"That's the thing, isn't it?" the mysterious lady said, lifting her head back, and letting the sea breeze flow into her long brown hair. "Everyone's talking about you, even though you're nothing special. At least if you look at it objectively. Yet, people still treat you like the next League Champion. Curious, no?"

The young girl Oriana walks quickly into the Gym, not because she was invited by this woman, but instead on the hope that Misty might somehow still be here. She cranes her neck and looks around the room and down into the pool as if the Gym Leader was hiding. "No no you don't understand. I want to challenge her right now. I need to." She walks right past this mysterious woman on the deck, past where some trainers are always standing, and up to the back platform where her two previous battles with Misty took place. She walks over the water with arms outstretched at her sides for balance; her raichu exhibits no such caution. "How do you know where she went? Who are you anyway?"

"Me? I'm a friend of Misty. And also your friend, Oriana Hastings." The woman pauses, then tilts her head. "You seem to be quite preoccupied with Misty. Are you out to seek revenge?"

Sera

After looking around again to confirm that the zubats really are gone, she looks back at the newcomer, still confused. "Not...really. Some things are strange sure, but the world never seemed 'odd'. Wait, how do you know my name? Who are you?"

"A friend," the woman replies simply. "One that's here to help you. Or rather, to help you see the truth. Tell me, Sera. Why are you collecting Gym Badges? Are you really that keen on challenging the League, or was it people around you urging you on?"

[Tristan]

Well he couldn't argue with the woman on either front. He did make a stir wherever he went it seemed and he wasn't exactly tall for his age. "Sorry to to disappoint. Running through a sandstorm might have made your search a bit harder." He glances at Desiree. "So are you here for a battle then?" Tristan asks but isn't really keen on the likely answer, Des had just gotten her wings and he was still worn from struggling with the sandtrap.

"Among other things. But I'm just curious about Tristan the trainer. Why are you here? You're clearly not out to best the Pokemon League. But still, people talk like you're the most committed and most talented trainer ever to grace Hoenn." The woman found a seat next to Tristan. "Quite the food for thought, no?"

"O-of course I'm right. That's obvious. It doesn't mean I believe you've got my best interests in mind," Gabriel snarled. And yet... there was something unmistakably different about this woman. She seemed so... genuine. "I..." he faltered, looking for Webrunner for help, but the spider was just as confused as he was. "I want to believe you. So, so badly," he admitted desperately. "But if you know the truth about this world, if you know more than I do, how can you expect me to trust anyone?"

Gabriel stared down at his hands. Even his own body didn't feel right. Despite his protests, his options were drastically limited. "Let's say I... entertained the possibility of trusting you. What... what does your 'help' entail?"

The woman shrugs, and makes an expansive gesture. "The truth," she says simply. "I can promise no more."

[Hefty Lefty]

Oriana

Oriana finally snaps to attention. Oh crap, she talks to herself in her mind, This girl knows Misty - I'd better not piss her off. "Not revenge, I mean, she never wronged me or anything. But she defeated Cheese here as a Pichu and Pikachu. Now he's finally strong enough, and I'm finally strong enough to get to the Pokemon League!" Oriana proudly flashes her badge case with the seven other Kanto seals of victory. "But I'll never get there if I don't defeat Misty!"

Oriana would love to say she isn't preoccupied with Misty, but the truth is she is so much so, that she completely skims over the fact that this woman knows her name already.

[Desril]

Sera

Why? Because...thinking about it for a moment, Sera can't come up with a specific answer, but she does her best to think of one, even though the honest answer is mostly because everyone seemed to claim it's what she wanted and she never really thought about it. "I suppose...because I want to get stronger with my friends. The League is the most straightforward way to do that. I guess you could say that since everyone is training so hard to get stronger, I don't want to get left behind. I want to be the very best."

[Xunthrae]

He nods. "Yea it is, but why'd you come to find me?"

[ChaosArchon]

"MissingNo you say? Curious name." he laughs nervously,"so what brings you here, and how do you know so much about me?"

[Bowyer]

[Tristan]

Tristan shrugs, "It just seemed like an interesting place to be. It's odd how much people miss." he pulls out the fossil to emphasize his point. It also gives him time to think over the other half of her statement. "I really hadn't thought about it..." he says a bit perplexed, "People just exaggerate....

[gearHead]

"Well," Gabriel laughed after a long moment of internal struggle that was plain on his face, sounding a little bit unhinged, "considering I was about to try and off myself, I guess I've got nothing else to lose. Not that they actually let me get away with suicide before." He'd gotten close to attempting it, more than once. He stepped closer to the strange woman. "So. Show me this 'truth.' I won't ever be more ready."

[Grif]

Oriana

Oriana finally snaps to attention. Oh crap, she talks to herself in her mind, This girl knows Misty - I'd better not piss her off. "Not revenge, I mean, she never wronged me or anything. But she defeated Cheese here as a Pichu and Pikachu. Now he's finally strong enough, and I'm finally strong enough to get to the Pokemon League!" Oriana proudly flashes her badge case with the seven other Kanto seals of victory. "But I'll never get there if I don't defeat Misty!"

Oriana would love to say she isn't preoccupied with Misty, but the truth is she is so much so, that she completely skims over the fact that this woman knows her name already.

The woman sighs, and then lifts a hand to her ear. "Unfreeze the program in pod 0110," she speaks softly, apparently conversing with another party. "No, not the whole thing, just the leader. Yes, debugged state. No, this isn't a joke." Putting down her hand again, she waves as Misty suddenly reappears in her usual spot in the gym. Oriana might notice a few things off.

The gym leader was standing completely still, staring straight ahead.
She seemed to be shimmering in and out of existence.
She was completely unresponsive.

The woman gestures at Misty. "Here you go. Misty, the Cerulean Gym Leader. Master of water pokemons."

Sera

Why? Because...thinking about it for a moment, Sera can't come up with a specific answer, but she does her best to think of one, even though the honest answer is mostly because everyone seemed to claim it's what she wanted and she never really thought about it. "I suppose...because I want to get stronger with my friends. The League is the most straightforward way to do that. I guess you could say that since everyone is training so hard to get stronger, I don't want to get left behind. I want to be the very best."

The woman simply smirks. "Really, is that what you think you want? I can hear the hesitation in your voice." She leans closer, and stares into Sera. "What if I told you that you have been living a lie all these while?"

He nods. "Yea it is, but why'd you come to find me?"

"Because I think you'd be interested to finding out that the world isn't what it seems. That you have been living a lie all this while," the woman replies nonchalantly. "Would you like a demonstration?"

"MissingNo you say? Curious name." he laughs nervously,"so what brings you here, and how do you know so much about me?"

The woman shrugs. "Maybe because I find you interesting. Maybe because you're the only thing here that is real. Maybe because..." She stops and stares up into the sky. "... I want to help you to see the truth."

[Tristan]

Tristan shrugs, "It just seemed like an interesting place to be. It's odd how much people miss." he pulls out the fossil to emphasize his point. It also gives him time to think over the other half of her statement. "I really hadn't thought about it..." he says a bit perplexed, "People just exaggerate....

The woman just chuckles, and waved a carefully manicured hand. "You think so? Let's see." She taps something on her wrist. A moment later, a floating screen appeared above her forearm, showing the citizens of Mauville City.

"He's the best trainer I seen yet!"
"Wattson never stood a chance."
"Have you heard of Tristan? He's the new League Champion, let me tell you that."

"Unreal, is it not?"

"Well," Gabriel laughed after a long moment of internal struggle that was plain on his face, sounding a little bit unhinged, "considering I was about to try and off myself, I guess I've got nothing else to lose. Not that they actually let me get away with suicide before." He'd gotten close to attempting it, more than once. He stepped closer to the strange woman. "So. Show me this 'truth.' I won't ever be more ready."

The woman smiles. "Very good. The others might need some convincing, but you're quite ready, I think." She lifts her fingers to her ear, reaching for a hidden earpiece. "Freeze the simulation for pod 0129. Yes, he's ready. Good, make it happen." As soon as she finishes, the entire world suddenly seems to stop. Pidgeys floating in mid-air. The sounds of the forest falling completely silent. Even the leaves was frozen in mid-breeze.

"You're lucky, you know," the woman continues. "They have noticed your... errant behaviour. A few days more and you'd been terminated unceremoniously."

[Desril]

Sera

"A lie?" Not sure how to respond to that, Sera only ends up looking more confused and glancing to her Honedge for support. "What do you mean that I've 'been living a lie'? What's been a lie?"

[Bowyer]

[Tristan]

Tristan faces burns at the praise, "People do seem to think a lot of my skills. It does seem....extreme." A second look at the screen piques his curiosity, "How'd you do that?

[Hefty Lefty]

Oriana

"Whoa whoa whoa," escapes Oriana. At first she jumps back at the materialization of Misty out of thin air, then steps up to her curiously, craning her neck up and down and around the statuesque Gym Leader. "What did you do to her!? How did you do that!?" Oriana sounds more impressed and interested than fearful or concerned for Misty's well-being. "Who are you?"

[gearHead]

"Simulation," Gabriel repeated blankly, staring as the woman seemed to break time itself. "As in... a computer program. The entire world is literally counterfeit." Despite how insane it sounded, the whole country was already mad; it was hard not to believe that woman, given her 'demonstration.' It explained so much... the way everything reacted so quickly to his actions, the strange repetition of patterns in people and the world itself, the apparent synchronization of so many events and individuals...

"Who... are they? Why did they do this to me? For that matter, who are you?"

[Xunthrae]

Jared was quiet after what she said. There was a ring of truth to it. He always felt out of place. That he didn't belong here. After several moments he finally nods. "Show me, please."

[ChaosArchon]

Yuri's eyes widen,"Wha... what do you mean real? The trees are real, the rain is, Athlo is too... what are you talking 'bout!" he clearly seems unnerved by the statement and his eyes begin darting around at everything, looking to make sure nothing had changed.

[Grif]

Sera

"A lie?" Not sure how to respond to that, Sera only ends up looking more confused and glancing to her Honedge for support. "What do you mean that I've 'been living a lie'? What's been a lie?"

"I see you need a demonstration. Hm, this could cut into our time..." The woman frowns, then taps her ear. "Pod 0127. Quick teleport to the nearest town. Disengage AI. Yes, now. Yes, I'm aware we're riding our luck. Look, just do it."

The woman barely put down her hand when the environment suddenly changed. Sera would recognise it as Aquacorde Town. What she wouldn't recognise is how all the town citizens seemed to be standing still, unmoving, all in the same standing pose with their head tilted down and eyes closed.

[Tristan]

Tristan faces burns at the praise, "People do seem to think a lot of my skills. It does seem....extreme." A second look at the screen piques his curiosity, "How'd you do that?

The lady simply smiles. "I'm not from around here, in case you haven't guessed already. You can say... I'm not from this world even." She leans in closer. "And I'm here to help you."

Oriana

"Whoa whoa whoa," escapes Oriana. At first she jumps back at the materialization of Misty out of thin air, then steps up to her curiously, craning her neck up and down and around the statuesque Gym Leader. "What did you do to her!? How did you do that!?" Oriana sounds more impressed and interested than fearful or concerned for Misty's well-being. "Who are you?"

"A friend," the lady repeats with a smile, before tapping her ear again. "Dismiss leader." The frozen body of Misty disappeared into the aether, like it never existed. "Now, let's discuss things more freely. I'm here to help you. More specifically, I'm here to free you from this... gilded cage."

"Simulation," Gabriel repeated blankly, staring as the woman seemed to break time itself. "As in... a computer program. The entire world is literally counterfeit." Despite how insane it sounded, the whole country was already mad; it was hard not to believe that woman, given her 'demonstration.' It explained so much... the way everything reacted so quickly to his actions, the strange repetition of patterns in people and the world itself, the apparent synchronization of so many events and individuals...

"Who... are they? Why did they do this to me? For that matter, who are you?"

"They? They go by many names. But you met them before. You might know of them as Team Rocket here." The woman chuckles. "Of course, they're not as incompetent as portrayed here. They're actually very dangerous." She goes silent for just a few seconds, then looks back out at the frozen Viridian City. "As for me... well, I rather not reveal that just yet. You may call me 'MissingNo'. Now..."

MissingNo raises and opens her left hand, a pokeball materialising in her palm. "Strictly a formality, but we must be sure you're able to take care of yourself once... well, we disrupt this simulation in a more permanent manner."

Jared was quiet after what she said. There was a ring of truth to it. He always felt out of place. That he didn't belong here. After several moments he finally nods. "Show me, please."

The woman nods. "Very good." She raises a hand and taps her earpiece. "Pod 0113. Replay history of previous occupant at these coordinates. Yes, just a static image. Yes, I know we're short on time. Just hold them off a little longer." She terminated the conversation testily and looked back at Jared. "Time's always short. Anyway, let's watch."

And lo and behold, the ghostly form of boy, about the age of 16, materialised in front of the two. He appeared to be living his own life, eeriely similar to Jared. The image whirls and flickers, jumping from one scene to the next, all seemingly mirroring Jared's at various points. Right down to the words even, like they were reading from a script. "You're not the first one to live this life, as you can tell."

Yuri's eyes widen,"Wha... what do you mean real? The trees are real, the rain is, Athlo is too... what are you talking 'bout!" he clearly seems unnerved by the statement and his eyes begin darting around at everything, looking to make sure nothing had changed.

"Afraid not. Pod 0120, freeze simulation." The rain abruptly stops in midair, the entire scenery becoming a three dimensional representation of a still painting. Yuri might even be able to see the individual droplets of rain suspended in mid-air. "We need to talk."

[Hefty Lefty]

Oriana

"Whuh what do you mean?" A completely frazzled Oriana gawks. She pats her body up and down as if looking for something - or checking if her matter is still in tact. "What am I trapped in? You are really freaking me out, lady!"