Rusted Shield

Goodbye Galar

The fire punch was repelled by his Orbeetle's expanding force; a Lucario was quick to interpose itself between them shortly after, saving Doug the trouble of a messy fight with whoever the cyborg ninja (Amor Rose) was.

Not that he disagreed with what'shisskullface (Isaac Merlo), but Doug felt he was being wrongly accused here. He had yet to do anything!

"Sounds good to me." Doug said flatly as he began to walk away, his Orbeetle following behind him and letting the Lucario serve as his shield. "I was just here for our cadet so— Bye. Don't get yourselves killed, or whatever."

Raising a dismissive hand as goodbye, he gave Genevieve Cromwell a nod, before raising his gaze greet the new arrival; freya morningstar and her dragons backing her up were very appreciated.

"'ppreciate it, Ms. Morningstar! I'll let'cha know if things go further south." He said, glancing over to the statue to see it go up in flames and stone. "... Like that, yeah."

Aw shit, here we go again.

---

He rejoins the rest of the group at the remnants of the statue just in time to see the most chaotic of the bunch get puppeteered and ragdolled about.

A pokemon unlike any he had seen arrived at the scene, riding atop a Glastrier. It spoke through the pupeteered trainers, and Doug couldn't help but feel a pang in the bottom of his stomach to learn that they hadn't been in this place for longer than a couple of minutes and they had already fucked up.

Yet another pokemon sacrificed on the altar of the League's and Rocket's unending conflict.

"Is there nothing we can do to help ya?" He said to the dying king. His hand raised— "I can heal! I've dealt with poison before!""

His hands were already glowing neon pink, reaching out towards the King. Killing wasn't an option— it was something you were forced to do.

From then, it became a matter of asking questions, surviving the occasional tantrum, and pondering (some more deeply than others) whether to kill the pokemon before them or not.

It wasn't until El Sunderland spoke that Doug's attention was briefly diverted from his attempts to heal the rider.

"The black knight...?" He echoed, confused, hands still extended towards Calyrex. Where had he heard that before...? The skeleton told him nothing. It was Galar related though, right? What did he even know about Ga—

"Oup!" Doug's eyes widened as his cellphone suddenly floated out of his pocket, and in front of his face. He tried to look around it, to the King. "Zeke? Get— outta the— Oi!"

The floating phone floated in front of his gaze everytime, his Porygon-Z's synthetic voice echoing out.

"KEYWORD RECOGNIZED. REMINDER:" The screen fleeted through several photos briefly, before finally settling on the pictures taken by Eris Halla over a year ago.

Oh. Right! The poems!

"Shoot! I forgot about those! Uuuh! Judgement is delivered from the creator’s hand'..." Doug read to the King. "Do you... know what this might mean? It's from an... 'ancient' poem. Most of it is lost—"

His Porygon-Z shot forth, grinding to a halt before the King, it's screen shown towards it.

'so came the unknown hero
the black knight
who in his great humbleness
returned from whence he came.'

"Uh... Yeah, that. Does.. does that mean anything to you?"

Regardless of the answer, the end was the same. Several trainers attempting to kill. Some where even league members. What the fuck?

"Wait– WAIT!" He shouted, eyes wide. What the hell were they doing?!

His hands glowed a familiar Magenta, the youth reeling back to throw the healing scales at the rider.

"ELEVATED STRESS LEVELS DETECTED." Boomed the Porygon-Z, it's screen flashing red. "INITIATING DEFENSIVE PROTOCOLS!"

The Porygon-Z's body glowed as it took in the various attacks coming its way and quickly realized normal measures would not be enough.

Fully sentient despite its robotic language, recognizing his trainer's desires as its power built within.

"LAST RESORT." Its power burst forth to defend against the many attacks coming towards the king.

---

Iq0G69fI

TL;DR:
-takes the easy out given to him by Isaac Merlo and peaces(hue) out from an unnecessary fight.
-thanks freya morningstar <3
-sees shit going down. awshitherewegoagain.jpg
-rejoins the group
-tries to heal Calyrex.
-while healing, heals El Sunderland mention the black knight.
-while wondering what that is outloud, his Porygon-Z registers the words and reminds him.
-himself and porygon Z read the poem outloud for Calyrex.
-awshitherewegoagain2:thesequelnobodywanted.jpg as folk try to take it out.
-wedon'tdothathere.jpg, tries to mitigate the damage with healing. Killing is the big naw.
-Porygon Z registers Doug's maxed out stress levels— tries to protect Calyrex with Last Resort.

roots of the jubokko tree

This is one weird ass hangar, angelo vestri

He had been left feeling restless following his meeting with Ranger Rowan Wrynn. The new knowledge weighed heavily upon him— kept him from his work.

"In and out." Doug muttered to himself as he stood before the now rotten, abandoned shack, doing his best not to let the smell of decay twist his face into a disgusted scowl. "... It'll be over quickly."

He just needed to go in, witnessed what was left for himself, and get it out of his system.

Elisabeth Fiorelli was a rocket. Not like Eris Halla, and not like Chu-e Choi. A proper, ride or die rocket. At least, that was what he had been told.

The chances of anything left inside the shack proving otherwise were null.

"... Let's just get this over with."

With perhaps a bit more anger than he realized he held in him, the youth took a single step forward—

And none too subtly, none too stealthily, kicked the rotten door in, tearing it off its hanging hinges and kicking up a large cloud of dust, spores and musky air.

BLOOM

Meeting with Rowan Wrynn.

That was not what he wanted to hear. That did not help at all.

"... Ya too, huh?" He said after a moment of silence, hands moving to rest at his hips as his head craned back, a tired sigh escaping his lips.

There was another moment of silence were he simply stared at the clouds without speaking a word.

"Chrysanthemums. White chrysanthemums, actually. No notes for me, though. Wonder why." He said, before taking a deep breath.


"... I... tried m'hand at romance. Once. so I knew a little 'bout flower talk when I got'em." His mouth opened, then closed again. "Thought they were supposed to mean loyalty, or innocence."

He paused.

"Wondering if they were supposed to be funeral flowers instead."

Decompression

Hideo Kino & Eris Halla

"Ya both are stronger than I ever was." Doug said after a moment, gaze forward but far off. "But that doesn't mean ya should have to be."

He turned a grin down to Eris Halla. Mostly because Hideo Kino wouldn't have been able to see it. In its place, he squeezed his hand just a little bit more firmly.

"There's stuff strength alone can't solve." Where it otherwise, he wouldn't have feared anything. They— all of them, Andy Blackadder and Arashi Akiyama and @cardamom and god rest her soul, Ruby Walker— were strong. Had been strong. But the world was cruel— specially to kids. "And that's were friends come in."

It was emotionally draining, drawing from a well of optimism that was running nearly dry after an exhausting day of failure and death. But if there was one thing he had learned from trying again and again, is that no matter how deep he had to reach, there was no bottom to be found.

"Yer not weak for calling on yer friends for help when ya need it, Eris. Hideo." Eris was the more obvious one of the two, but he knew Hideo felt more obligated than anyone to be independent. "If they're able to help, they will. Yer not abusing their trust by asking."

He paused on his little cipher as they reached the fabled gelato store, letting go of both kids hands before patting them on the back.

"But enough about my prattlin'." He said, turning his smile to the man manning the shop. "'Ey, Jimbo! Long time no see, eh? Three— big as they go! One triple chocolate chip, One strawberry, and one mint chocolate."

The man named Jimbo jolted awake as if half asleep, before immediately launching into reminiscencing conversation with Doug as his brain registered the order and began to work.

Decompression

Hideo Kino & Eris Halla

"Yeah, that's what I'm here for." Doug said with a lazy grin, lifting his hands and punching the air. "To beat trouble's ass."

With Hideo properly suited and disguised as well, They were all up and ready to get some ice cream. Doug gestured at his Shedinja to get them on the road.

"We're going to Slateport, everyone." He said, staring into the dark depths of the portal before them. "Next stop, Jimbo's Amazing Gelatos."

And off they went.

---

The entire crew materialized in Slateport Park, a location Doug had frequented quite often back when he lived in the city. It was well illuminated and traveled even at that late time.

Hoenn's largest and most influential metropolis never slept— just like its guardian, FERNANDO SILPH.

"The good thin' 'bout Jimbo's that he's pretty much always open for business." Doug said as he took the lead, holding out a hand for each child.

The poor man's attempts at competing with the big brands was their benefit tonight.

"I'm feelin' like mint chocolate tonight. Is that weird? I don't really like mint chocolate."

ULTRA DESERT: EMSD 2

The long awaited sequel!

When Sigurd Holst came to, they were no longer in the megalopolan vessel.

This was HQ's medical bay.

"Woah, woah, calm down!" Came as a figure suddenly rushed into the tent. "You okay?"

It was the Lt. Colonel, and as he paused to look the blonde over, he sighed in relief.

"Hoooey, n'here I thought ya looked lika ya were enjoyin' the sleep." Doug said as moved to take a seat on one of the beds besides the one Holst was rested on. "Oh— we had to carry you back. Or, teleport you back...? Anyway, you were asleep for that part."

Doug scratched at his cheek.

"We were trapped inside, what with the storm and all... so I teleported everyone back to base." He explained, before tilting his head. "What's got you so tilted though, man?"

Seemed like the mission was over... for now.

---

uPFPJaDI

Tapu Playdate

Mission: Vs Tapu Koko, ft. Eris Halla

Anyone who had attended the star soiree knew that Tapu Lele loved dancing. Just like that, Mesprit had herself a partner.

On the other side? Tapu Koko simply stared at Eris, still bouncing energetically in place. That was almost like a nod, yeah?

"... I think that means he likes you." Doug said as he leaned slightly over to Eris, whispering conspiratorially. "Now's your chance, ask him something! Or... play a game?"

He paused, poking at his cheek in thought as his lips pursed.

"What did'cha wanna do once ya met him anyway?"

Lab Rats

Testing. Ft. Eva Morales, illeana reyes

He did as Illeana instructed and remained otherwise silent, barely seeming to register the needle go in.

"Needles were a lot scarier before my first stabbing." He said after a moment. "Wonder why; it's not like the pain's changed any."

Maybe getting his throat turned into a pincushion had given him some perspective.

Before his wits could remind him that the bandaging was unnecessary, Eva had already stepped in, brushing aside the supplies in place of a new set of instructions for him.

"I don't really—" Doug was halfway through trying to intersect Eva's words when his wound sealed shut without warning. "... have any control over it. Uh. Yet?"

He glanced at Tapu Lele as he said(asked) this. The Tapu remained silent, her eyes closed as she leaned lazily onto his shoulder, seemingly napping.

Rolling his eyes, he made another fist. His hand glowed a pink neon as scales began to emit from it, fluttering and dissipating in the air. Tapu Lele released a soft coo, but otherwise remained static.

"I can bring 'em out if I need to heal someone else. In my case tho, it just... happens." He said. "Never really occurred to me to stop it."

He didn't go out of his way to get injured on purpose; if he needed healing, it was usually pretty dire.

He looked around briefly, before perking up as if remembering something. Reaching for his discarded jacket, he fiddled with its pockets briefly, before producing the military's standard issue combat knife.

"I can try, though." He offered, moving to stab his hand—

BLOOM

Meeting with Rowan Wrynn.

"Pardon?" Doug asked, staring at Rowan as if a second head had just sprouted from the young man's neck.

It was hard to feel too proud of his success in raising the garden when he was being told the person responsible for said success was—

"A rocket? What?" Doug said, turning to the other with a twisting brow. "No? No... No? That doesn't—"

Elisabeth Fiorelli?!

"It doesn't make any sense." He said, stressing the last word with both intonation and gestures, leaning closer with index and thumb pinched tightly as he held his hands head level. "She's a florist."

He threw his hand towards the blooms

"She— She's the one who taught me how to raise these!" He suddenly seemed to remember something, his hand fishing into pocket before fumbling about a phone, face twisted in frustration as he stiffly and clumsily maneuvered within the touch screen to open the gallery, before showing off a selfie taken with her... and several bugs.

"She's a member of the _Unofficial Bugcatcher's association!"

Rocket? Elisabeth?

AQUA INITIATIVE

------------------- ENCRYPTED GROUP CHAT

[break][break]

dahlia goode FERNANDO SILPH Eva Morales illeana reyes kyle lopez Katherine Fairburne MATIAS SILPH Melody Miro Callan Young Laurence Anderson Razz Kingsman John Sullivan skyler dross angelo vestri Elinor Anderson

Tapu Playdate

Mission: Vs Tapu Koko, ft. Eris Halla

Tapu Lele mirrored Mesprit in enthusiasm, leaning closer whilst humming to herself and observing the Lake pixie with interest.

It reminded Doug of her interactions with Celebi, the prince of the forest. He wondered if she would try to... court (?) this one too.

Tapu Koko, for his part, seemed briefly interested on the interactions between his sister and the pixie, though his gaze went back to Eris when the little girl reintroduced herself.

Tapu Lele seemed a little distracted with Mesprit, but Koko gave her his full attention, bouncing in place whilst looking her in the eye.

He glanced Doug's way, expression blank. Doug's shrugged at the deity.

"I'unno!" He said to the unspoken question, before gently placing his palm on Eris back. "Go on, Eris! He doesn't bite."